


Child of the Cave Book 1

by boredom



Series: Child of the Cave [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Knights, young Merlin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-17
Updated: 2015-04-04
Packaged: 2018-01-25 12:31:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 60,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1648730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boredom/pseuds/boredom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While on a quest to destroy a magical creature, Arthur and the other knights are saved by a young boy with impossibly strong magic. After taking the child back to Camelot, it is discovered a well-known lord is visiting Camelot. But this man has a connection to Gwaine. And, he seems to want something from the crown as well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Do we know where he’s at?” the captain of the guards asked in a venomous tone. He was absolutely furious. How hard was it to keep track of one little animal? Honestly, between this and the jumper last month, he would have thought this was a weak stronghold. Though they had never lost a monster before, perhaps the winds were just changing. 

“No, we have no idea. He just vanished,” the other replied in a shaky tone. Why wouldn’t he be? The captain was a dangerous man and did not like to fail his lord. Then again, perhaps it was time for this whole operation to crumble and fall in a heap of rubble after all the years of hard work the captain had put in. The man gritted his teeth and vehemently refused to allow such a possibility. He would keep this place afloat and ready for his master’s orders. He would not fail and bring dishonor and shame upon himself. Though he knew there would be great repercussions for losing this one, the guard knew he could worm his way out of it. The thing was still so young, there was no way it would be able to survive for long. Though its death would probably bring greater punishment then merely losing track of it. The captain didn’t want to think about what his boss had in store once word got out about what had happened. 

Though, to be fair, they were warned that this might happen, that this would happen. The idiot druid the king kept locked up in the tower had forewarned that they could not contain such strong power, especially when the boy had just a “great destiny”. Personally, the guard couldn’t see it. The kid was just too weak to ever be worth anything. He didn’t even understand why the king bothered to keep him around. Perhaps the animal held some special place in the king’s heart, though that was doubtful. The only thing his boss loved was himself and power. Apparently, the brat was going to help give it to him. Destiny or not, though, the animal belonged here and nowhere else.

“How long has he been gone?” the captain spat, trying to weed at least one answer from the man who was supposed to be in charge of guarding the child.

“Um, well, we…” the guard stuttered. The leader growled and tried not to cut off his fellow guardsman’s head. Though it was getting quite difficult. The stuttering suggested that the man wasn’t doing his job like he was supposed to.

“Spit. It. Out!” the captain shouted.

“At least three hours,” came the meek reply. At this, the senior guard lost his temper and plunged the sword through the man’s heart. The others stopped and stared at the body that laid bleeding at the senior’s feet. The damn thing had almost three hours of a head start. A lot could happen in three hours and now the chances of finding him were very slim. The guard kicked the dead man away from him and turned to the others standing in the room.

“I want him found and I want him found now. Our lord will not be happy that we lost such a prize and I will ensure that it is entirely on your heads and not mine. FIND HIM!” he shouted. The others jumped and scurried about like rats, tripping over each other in an effort to appease their leader. The senior guard growled and turned to the wall that was lined with cages. Several grubby people were stuffed inside. Cowering as far away from the metal bars as possible. 

You could tell which ones had been here awhile. They were the ones with dead and empty eyes. The ones that sat closest to the bars. They stayed away from each other and did everything asked. The others did everything asked as well, mostly out of fear and not because they were too brain dead to resist. There were a few troublemakers, but those were quickly taken care of with the loss of a tongue or ear. Some of the more mouthier ones took several days of torture, but they were broken in the end. They all were broken in the end.

The new arrivals were more likely to huddle together in the back of the cages. Their eyes still held the spark of life. They still had hope that one day they would be rescued. Surprisingly, the jumper and the escapee had also stayed strong, despite being here for almost four years. The guard should have known that this would have happened. Not because of some old cook, but because those two were far too alive. They were biding their time before they were able to escape. There probably wasn’t an elaborate plan. The boy simply saw an opportunity and took it. The guard flew forward with an animalistic cry and slammed a metal pole against the bars. The sound resonated and caused the occupants to jump back, even the old timers with no light left in their eyes skidded away in fear. The guard was seething and breathing heavily. A stupid mistake and now he might never live to see another morning. It was then that the guard remembered that although the boy was strong, he was also very young. He wouldn’t have had the courage to do this without someone to at least push him out the door. The guard decided to ask about this. 

“The boy is powerful, but he couldn’t have orchestrated this all on his own. If you tell me who helped him, I’ll let you go,” the guard falsely promised. No one spoke up. He had hoped that the new arrivals would answer immediately, given that they were unaware of the true nature of the guards, but not even freedom broke their silence. 

“I’m trying to be patient with you all. You know how quickly I lose my patience,” he threatened. An old man, one of the longest surviving, stood up and made his way to the front of the cage. The guard sighed. This one was completely crazy. There probably wouldn’t be any useful information out of him. But he still decided to humor the man. Maybe later he could convince his lord to let him butcher the old timer. He wasn’t much use now. He was here as more of a relic and trophy than anything.

“Do you know something?” the guard asked sweetly. The old man look at the guard with eyes that had been blind for many years. Despite the fact that he couldn’t see the guard, the man still appeared to be staring right at him. His eyes were boring deep into the guard’s soul. The captain felt exposed and raw, like nothing was hidden from the man. He could read his entire life’s story just by staring ahead blankly. The guard shook off the ridiculous thought. This man was blind. He couldn’t see anything, much less the guard’s soul. Still, it felt like an eternity before the old man spoke.

“Emrys is going home.” 

1 Year Later

Arthur didn’t even want to begin explaining to his father how idiotic this plan was. It was completely and totally insane. There was no way this would ever work. But he had to try anyways. Uther was insistent. 

“Father, I can’t go after something if I don’t even know what it looks like,” Arthur said through gritted teeth. He was trying very hard not to lose his patience. Sometimes his father could be so stubborn. Though it probably didn’t help that Arthur was just as stubborn. Uther slammed his fist down on the table.

“Arthur, this beast is dangerous and magical. It is destroying crops. You have to figure out what it is before it gets worse,” Uther snapped. Arthur rolled his eyes. Leave it to his father to make something seem important by calling it magical. 

Leon cleared his throat uncomfortably and attempted to regain control of the situation. He hated Sir Ian for retiring last year. He was the only one besides Gaius who could actually keep control of Uther and Arthur’s temper. Since Leon was head knight, the responsibility now lay with him. He was just glad the Lady Morgana had taken ill before the meeting so that he wouldn’t have to deal with three stubborn opinions. Though Leon silently suspected Morgana just didn’t want to attend and made up an illness, knowing Uther would allow her a respite. Leon didn’t know how you could even have three different sides to this argument. But if anyone could make it work, it was the royal family. Maybe he could pass off the duties to Lancelot. Knowing the man, he would take it as a great honor and not as a great chore. Regardless, Leon was here now and needed to create a plan of action soon.

“Sire, I agree with Arthur. We have no idea what this creature looks like or what it is capable of. Give us more time to research and ask around to see if anyone has seen it. If we know what it is, we might be more successful on the first hunt rather than going on many different hunts.” Uther turned to Leon and glared at the knight. Leon tried not to shrink under that stare but it was rather difficult. The king had one of those looks that threatened Leon with an execution if he didn’t watch his next words carefully. 

“You are to hunt the beast down. Do not come back until you find it. And don’t even think about seeing Morgana. She is ill and needs her rest,” Uther snarled before sweeping out of the council chambers. Arthur and Leon sank back defeated. 

“Cyrus,” Leon called to his servant. The boy stepped forward with a bow. “Gather the usual men and tell them to be prepared to leave in half an hour. You then can go home until I return,” Leon commanded.

“Right away, sir,” he replied. He gave another bow before heading off to do what Leon had asked. Leon turned to Arthur.

“It will be okay. We have nothing to fear,” he tried to soothe the young prince’s troubled mind.

“I just have a feeling about today,” Arthur replied. 

“A bad feeling?”

“Not exactly. It’s not a very good feeling either,” Arthur explained.

“Perhaps we should ask our old friend,” Leon suggested. Arthur shook his head.

“We’ll see what we can find first. If nothing else one of us can ride back and ask Gaius for help,” Leon proposed. Arthur nodded and stood to prepare for the journey.

“Why can’t my father just be patient? Yes, it has destroyed crops and villages, but there have been no actual sightings. Furthermore, there have been no damages for the last week and a half,” Arthur grumbled.

“Perhaps it just needed a break,” Leon said.

“This was something that was razing one village to the ground everyday. This doesn’t strike me as the kind of thing that just stops ‘cause it wants to,” Arthur said. “I want it gone as much as my father. But at the expense of resources that could be used to better protect the people, I’m not sure if that’s the right way to go about this.” 

“There is no right way to go about this. You just have to do what you think is right.” Leon shook his head and continued to follow the prince through the castle.

“I’m just afraid that this is a trap, or nothing at all. Perhaps just some overactive bandits,” Arthur sighed. Leon decided to try and focus on what they did know instead of what they didn’t.

“The last reports came from up north, closer to Cenred’s kingdom,” Leon said. Arthur nodded and made his way out into the courtyard. The other knights were all ready to go.

“This better be good, princess,” Gwaine grumbled, looking as though he had just been pulled out of bed. It was almost noon. On a Tuesday. But Arthur didn’t ask since he didn’t want to know what Gwaine had been up to last night. 

“There have been reports of a creature attacking villages. Our mission is to go and dispose of this creature,” Arthur explained. 

“Do we know what we’re up against?” Elyan asked. Arthur sighed and massaged his brow.

“No, we don’t know what we’re looking for,” he responded truthfully. Gwaine snorted.

“So for all we know, this thing could be a rabbit or a wyvern,” he muttered. Leon was about to admonish him when Arthur spoke again.

“Listen, this thing has burned several villages to the ground. Many are without homes because of it. Others have lost everything, their entire lives, their family, their friends. It isn’t active now, but it may come back and destroy more lives than it already has. We need to stop it while it is still inactive and possibly recuperating,” Arthur said. Gwaine snapped his mouth closed and nodded. Most of the group knew what it was like to lose their home and family because of monsters, be them man or beast. They weren’t going to let innocents suffer simply because the creature was unknown. They were going to kill this beast if it was the last thing they did. 

oOoOoOo

“So we’re just going to head north until we hit an enemy kingdom?” Gwaine asked, leaning casually on his horse. 

“The last sightings were somewhere near Cenred’s kingdoms. We need to ask and see if anyone saw anything,” Leon clarified. Gwaine sighed.

“We really have no idea what we’re doing,” he muttered.

“At least we have a plan,” Percival said with a small smile. “The first step has to be figuring out what we’re up against before any action can be taken. If we don’t ask around, this thing will remain unknown.” Gwaine spurred his horse forward, unwilling to admit that Percival was right. Gwaine liked helping people, he really did. But sometimes it felt as though Uther was becoming more paranoid and forcing others to suffer with him because of it. Gwaine would have followed Arthur to the ends of the Earth, but Arthur wasn’t calling the shots, not yet. Lancelot sat quietly in the back. He couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. Something was off about this whole thing. He could just feel it. Lancelot spurred his horse to the front by Leon’s and Arthur. 

“Don’t be alarmed but I think we’re being followed,” Lancelot muttered. Leon sat up straighter and locked eyes with Percival. Percival nodded and nudged his horse into Gwaine and Elyan’s who quickly got the message. Gwaine began to recount the tale about two twins from Samos who he had once spent the weekend with while Lancelot continued to tell Arthur and Leon about the situation.

“I’ve noticed the bushes moving along with us for about ten minutes now. The feelings been there ever since we entered the forest,” Lancelot explained. In the background, Elyan shouted at Gwaine to shut up which caused Gwaine to proceed to try and hook Elyan up so he could get laid and relax. 

“Do you know how many?” Arthur asked. Lancelot shook his head.

“I think there’s only the one for now. But I can’t be sure,” he admitted. Gwaine’s story stopped abruptly as the group became aware of a figure standing in the middle of the road. The other’s caught site of the man and slowed their horses. He was standing a good ten yards from the horses. He had on a wide brimmed, brown hat that cast a shadow over the better part of his face. He also had a brown cloak draped around his shoulders, fluttering in the breeze. From the distance, Gwaine couldn’t really tell how tall the man was, but he was definitely muscular. Gwaine swore he could make out a smirk from underneath the shadow. He stiffened in the saddle and prepared for a fight. Something was off about this man. 

“Do you need something?” Lancelot called out. The man just stood there and continued to study the knights. Leon reached down to draw out his sword.

“Don’t do that, sir knight,” the man said.

“And why not?” Elyan asked. The man chuckled.

“You are completely surrounded. You are on horseback. You are outnumbered. The chances of you getting out of this alive are very slim. Just surrender and come with me,” the man explained.

“Why would we come with a common bandit?” Gwaine snapped.

“I am a mercenary. My name is Drake and my employer wants the prince,” he said. Arthur bristled at this. His men were being threatened because of him. He never liked it when others were in danger because of him. It made him hate the title of prince even more. The fact that just being associated with him could cause so many people to be in danger. It wasn’t fair. 

“We can still fight you,” Arthur said. He hoped that his voice was stronger than what he felt at the moment. In all honesty, Arthur was afraid. This mercenary was so damn calm. It was as if nothing could go wrong with his plan. Overconfidence was some men’s downfall, but it was also some men’s strength. The forest was suddenly too silent and the trees too thick. Arthur felt like everything was closing in on him and he couldn’t do anything to stop it. 

“Oh, my dear prince, you can. You might even kill a few of my men. But, you are the only one my employer wants. The others are disposable. We won’t hesitate to kill them. Come with me and I can promise no harm will come to them,” the man said. Arthur hesitated for a moment. Part of him screamed to not trust the man. Part of him said that he had no choice. Another part, strangely the largest part, was telling him to remain calm, everything would work out. It wasn’t afraid of the man. It was almost as if it was preparing for a guardian angel to rescue Arthur and his men. It was this part that gave Arthur the strength to make a decision.

“Alright. I will come with you.” Arthur moved to get off of his horse. Leon grabbed his arm.

“You can’t. You don’t know what this man wants. You need to get back to the palace. We’ll cover you.” Leon said. Typical Leon. Sacrificing himself for the crown. Arthur turned to Leon.

“I am at the front. They have us surrounded. We are almost an hour’s ride from the palace. Even if I manage to somehow get past all of you, I’d never make it back,” Arthur said. 

“He’s right, Sir Leon,” the leader chuckled. Leon’s head snapped back towards the man. Arthur wanted to scold him for taking the eyes off the enemy, but figured there was a time and a place.

“How do you know my name?” Leon asked. The man just shook his head and laughed again. This laugh was full body and mocking.

“The knight who was so desperate to save the one’s he love the most that he lost almost everything.” Arthur turned to Leon. The knight’s knuckles had turned white from gripping the reins with such fear. Only a few people knew about that. And Arthur was sure this random man in the middle of the forest wasn’t one of them.

“Stop it,” Arthur snarled. He had to protect everyone. If this man knew about Leon’s past, what did he know about the others? Arthur didn’t want all of his men to experience the same sort of emotions that was currently leaving Leon unable to fight or think straight.

“I know all about you. Everyone of you. Sir Elyan, the one who ran from his responsibilities. The one who makes excuses for his past behaviors. Tell me, how is your father doing?”

“I said stop it.”

“Oh and dear Percival, have you told your friends what you used to do? How many you’ve killed? Why your family died?” Percival’s face drained so fast, Arthur was afraid the man would faint. The further this went, the less his knights would be able to function. They were entering dangerous territory now. Arthur just hoped his men would be able to put their past lives aside for the sake of their own survival.

“Why are you taunting us like this?” Arthur asked, trying to get the conversation off of his men.

“Gwaine’s running too. Trying everything in his power to distance himself from his own blood. You know, Gwaine, you remind me so much of your father. How’s that temper of yours?” the man said. Arthur could practically hear the sneer in his voice.

“Why you-“ Gwaine attempted to lunge off his horse only to be held back by Percival and Elyan.

“I thought so,” the man chuckled. “And finally little, lost, Lancelot. Searching and searching for the man who took it all away, knowing you’ll never find him. You weren’t strong enough then and you aren’t strong enough now.”

“You need to stop. Now!” Arthur shouted.

“Oh, Arthur, I know about all your men. I know their strengths, their weaknesses. I know the lowest and highest points in their lives. I know it all. Now, dismount and come with me, all of you,” the man said. Arthur and the others jumped off the horses and began to follow the man.

“Leave the horses. You won’t be needing them.” Arthur turned and saw Leon was as white as a sheet. He put a comforting hand on his knight’s shoulder before following the man. All of his men had been shaken by the events that had just taken place. These weren’t little secrets that this man knew, these were huge secrets dealing with the pasts of each knight. Arthur didn’t know what was being planned, but he sure as hell knew it was going to be very painful for him and his men. 

“Sorry about that. I just wanted to make it a bit easier to handle you all,” the man said with his syrupy sweet voice. Arthur doubted he was very sorry over the events that had happened.

The group stopped at a clearing where about ten other men were standing. All swords were out and ready to kill anyone who wasn’t going to cooperate with the leader. Arthur attempted to look strong as he crossed into the clearing. Leon and Elyan had regained some of their composure. Percival still looked ready to faint, as did Lancelot. The reaction that surprised Arthur the most was Gwaine’s. The knight looked very frightened. He never talked about his father, but judging from the man’s reaction, being compared to him wasn’t a compliment. If the knights didn’t stand a chance to get out of this back on the trail, they sure as hell didn’t now. Each was visibly shaken by the ordeal. The only purpose was to show that their captor held power over them. That thought made Arthur sick. These were his men. They didn’t need the worst pieces of their soul to be dragged up by some stranger. And furthermore, why did the stranger know these things? Arthur bristled when he realized it was probably some sort of magic. If this man had magic, then he probably knew something about the creature they were hunting.

“Were you the one to call upon the creature that has destroyed several villages?” Arthur asked. The man looked up from his discussion with one of his subordinates.

“No, dear prince. That was just a wyvern that got a bit wild. It was just an added bonus that you came. I was planning on storming the castle,” the man laughed. Arthur nodded and turned to his men. Gwaine was trying to calm down his breathing. Percival had yet to regain his color. Lancelot looked slightly calmer, though still a tad pale. Elyan was probably the one that was the most put together out of the entire group. He came up behind Arthur.

“We need a plan,” he whispered. 

“We can’t do anything with the others still panicking because some man knew about their past,” Arthur snapped.

“You don’t understand. He knows things about me that I won’t even admit to myself. You didn’t feel it. You just heard it. I never wanted that part of my soul to come to light. And some man who I don’t know dragged it up out of me and forced it into the open. Give them a little credit for not fainting on the spot. Lord knows that’s what I felt like doing,” Elyan hissed. Arthur massaged his brow and prepared to discuss the release of his men. Before he could speak, the man rounded on Lancelet and sent a powerful punch to his jaw. Lancelot cried out in pain and fell to the ground. 

“Some of these are liabilities. Choose which ones you like the least and I’ll kill them,” the man smiled. 

“I am not choosing which of my men to die!” Arthur shouted. The previous questions about magic and the wyvern that had been attacking the villages was now gone from Arthur’s head. The man tutted.

“If you don’t choose at least two, then I’ll be forced to kill them all,” he warned. Arthur looked around helplessly. He couldn’t live with himself if he chose two to die and three to live. It wasn’t fair. 

“You have thirty seconds, my prince. Then I’ll kill blond one,” he said. Arthur whipped around just in time to see a man slam the but of a sword into Leon’s head. Gwaine tried to rush forward but Percival held him back. Leon wasn’t unconscious yet, but he didn’t seem to be doing very well. He crashed onto his knees, the sword positioned onto the back of his neck, ready to sink in when the signal was given. 

“Please, you don’t have to do this. Just let them go,” Arthur begged. He knew there was no way it was going to work, but he had to try. Perhaps seeing him beg would give the leader more pleasure and he would let the men go simply because Arthur lowered himself to the point of begging. It didn’t work. Instead the man just sat there and widened his smile.

“You’re time is up,” the man said. 

“NO!” Arthur shouted. He saw the sword go to cut Leon’s head off. Everything seemed to slow as the sword began to arc back towards the knight. Leon had his eyes closed, accepting of the situation. Arthur couldn’t look away. He couldn’t move. All he could do was watch his friend get murdered right before his eyes. But the cut never came. Instead, another cry of distress was heard and a brown blob skidded right into the executioner. The executioner yelped as he was thrown to the ground. The sword landed away from Leon’s neck, much to Arthur’s relief.

“Whoa!” the brown blobbed exclaimed at it tumbled to a stop near the leader. The execution propped himself up on his elbows and Leon had opened his eyes. Everyone was staring at the thing that had just fallen into the campsite. The brown blob rolled around before getting to its feet. That’s when Arthur realized that it was a jacket that had been caught on the person’s head. At least Arthur hoped it was a person. This would be a very bad day to deal with a pixie on top of everything else. The person struggled for a few minutes with the jacket before managing to pull it down. Arthur gasped as he realized that it was just a child standing there. He had long, tangled hair that was the color of a raven’s wing and bright blue eyes. His skin looked to be burned from being out in the sun for too long. His clothing hung off his frame. And personally, Arthur thought the boy was too small and skinny for his own good. He didn’t look to be more than six or seven years old. The boy took a second to observe his surroundings. He seemed very confused as to what he had stumbled on. Arthur just wanted to scream and tell the boy to run. His voice seemed to stop working. Finally, the child spoke.

“Um, hello. I’m Merlin. What are you doing in my forest?”


	2. Chapter 2

“Um, hello. I’m Merlin. What are you doing in my forest?”

Everyone stood there, gaping at the young boy. Arthur didn’t know how to react, and by the looks of it, neither did any of the knights or mercenaries. This was clearly unplanned in Drake’s great scheme of kidnapping the crown prince of Camelot. The boy stared back at the group. He spent a few seconds apparently determining if the group of unknown men was a threat. The kid seemed to have decided the group of scary mercenaries with large pointy swords was not a threat as he gave a bright smile and began to collect some items on the forest floor. He must have dropped the plants during his tumble. While he flitted around carefully, collecting the plants, Arthur noticed a frayed blue neckerchief tied around his neck. There was also a small dragon pendant hanging onto a frayed rope, poking out from underneath the filthy blue cloth. He wore tattered boots on his feet. Arthur wouldn’t be surprised if there were holes in the soles. The child, Merlin, also had on some very baggy brown trousers and an enormous brown jacket. The jacket swamped the young boy so much so that the sleeves had been rolled up several times just so the boy could use his hands. The bottom of the jacket stopped just below the kid’s knee, making him seem like a boy wearing his father’s clothes. 

The kid seemed absolutely undeterred at what was going on around him. He was just humming a little tune, looking completely content with his surroundings. Someone really needed to teach this kid some self-preservation. Did the boy really not understand that he should run and hide? Even some of the most bone-headed squires still had the common sense to leave a scene such as this. Arthur saw Percival step forward and kneel down so he was on the boy’s level. Arthur’s gaze flickered over to the mercenaries to ensure they weren’t about to cut off the large knight’s head like they tried to do with Leon’s. Luckily, they still seemed to be mesmerized by a child who didn’t show an ounce of fear.

“Sweetheart, where are your parents at?” Percival asked in a very gentle voice. Despite his size, Arthur knew Percival was ridiculously good with children. He would often be seen in the lower town giving the children piggyback rides, helping little girls carry flowers, and showing little boys how to build things. Arthur had always meant to ask if Percival ever had a family, but it was never brought up in conversation. And after Drake’s little speech earlier, Arthur didn’t want to know the pain his friend had endured in the past. The boy stood up and frowned.

“I don’t have any. Freya said that was impossible, but I don’t remember them. You still haven’t answered my question,” he explained. Percival looked taken aback and leaned back on his heals. Instead of answering the question, Merlin just created more that Arthur and everyone else wanted to know. The leader, who up until this point Arthur had forgotten about, decided it was time for him to speak.

“Listen, sweetheart,” he sneered, “I don’t want to kill a kid. So why don’t you run along?” Arthur was grateful the man seemed uninterested in harming the boy. Percival had moved so that he was blocking Merlin from Drake’s line of sight. The kid still didn’t seem to have any fear towards the man.

“I don’t like it when you call me that. Only he can call me that. He’s nice,” Merlin stated. He didn’t look at the leader. He instead squatted down and began to examine a patch of flowers near the tree Leon was still kneeling by. The leader snapped his mouth shut and began to brainstorm how to best deal with the child. Arthur’s heart was beating at a rapid pace. He now believed the kid had a death wish. Why else would you act like this around a man who was clearly dangerous?

“Merlin,” Gwaine said, deciding to try his luck with the interrogation. He stepped forward carefully. “How old are you?” 

“Does that matter?” the leader snapped. “I just want him gone!” A wolf howled in the distance. Merlin cocked his head to the side and looked at the leader.

“Rowena said you aren’t nice. You need to leave,” he said. Drake growled but made no move towards the boy. Arthur had to resist the urge to snatch Merlin up in his arms and run back to Camelot. Honestly, how dense could this child be? Furthermore, who the hell was Rowena? Now that was a question Arthur wanted to know the answer to.

“Merlin, you haven’t answered my question. I’ll answer yours if you answer mine,” Gwaine tried again. Merlin pondered for a moment before nodding. He turned to face Gwaine and sat down. His legs were crossed and he was leaning forward slightly. His eyes were glued to Gwaine while the knight began telling the story.

“We were tracking down a wyvern that had been destroying some villages when these men took us captive,” Gwaine explained. Merlin nodded his understanding.  
“I took Jeff back into the mountains near Mercia. He was lonely. That’s why he was destroying stuff,” Merlin responded. Gwaine furrowed his brow, trying to see the connection. Leon stood up and made his way back towards the group.

“Jeff is the wyvern? How did you get it to obey you?” Leon asked.

“That’s what you want to know?” Elyan cried. “I want to know why he named the damn thing?” Merlin stuffed the yarrow back into the pockets of a jacket that looked to be six sizes too big for him before answering.

“They listen to me. I don’t know why. It’s like they have to. And what’s wrong with the name Jeff?” Merlin asked, turning to Elyan and staring questioningly at the knight. Elyan bit his lip and said nothing. Drake had had enough by this point.

“Listen, you brat, leave and I won’t hack your head off,” he threatened. Drake had stomped up to the kid and was now towering over him. Arthur noticed Merlin’s eyes get even larger than they already were. The boy hunched in on himself while still staring pleadingly at the man who looked ready to step on him. 

“Shut up, Drake. I need answers,” Gwaine snapped. Merlin whimpered and darted back towards the tree at Gwaine’s outburst. Arthur now knew the breaking point for the child’s bravery. Granted, Merlin was still braver than Arthur would have originally given him credit for. Or possibly dumber than Arthur originally thought. Whatever the case Arthur now knew the kid did have some survival instincts.

“Great, now you scared him,” Lancelot scolded. He slowly made his way towards the boy. Merlin had curled into a ball and was now whimpering and possible crying. The way his back was shaking indicated that he was at least trying to hold in some tears.

“For God’s sake, it is a child! Leave it and let’s get back to business,” the leader groaned. Arthur knew that his knights were not going to let this matter go unsettled. Threatened or not, they were still knights of Camelot and would protect the innocent at all costs.

“We will do no such thing until this boy is safe,” Leon replied. He threw a glare at the leader that made the man withdraw just a tad. Lancelot knelt down in front of the tree and went to touch the boy. He drew back his hand, not knowing how Merlin would react. Lancelot did not want to make this situation worse.

“Merlin, love, Gwaine didn’t mean to scare you. He’s not mad at you,” Lancelot said gently. Merlin sniffed and raised his head to look at Lancelot.

“I didn’t do anything,” he whimpered. Lancelot figured it was safe to try and touch him and reached out, gently running his fingers through the boy’s tangled hair. Given the state he was in, Lancelot had a feeling this boy lived out here. There were tear tracks that had washed away some of the dirt. Up close it was also easier to see how skeletal Merlin appeared. Lancelot smiled at the child and continued to comb his fingers through the rat’s nest of hair.

“I promise you, you didn’t do anything,” Lancelot affirmed. “Can you tell us how old you are?” Lancelot asked in the softest voice he could manage. ~Gwen would really be better at this.~ Lancelot thought before turning his attention back to Merlin.  
“Eleven,” Merlin answered. Gwaine snorted in the background. Arthur agreed with Gwaine. If that boy was eleven, then Gwaine was a chaste virgin. Merlin gave a small pout before turning to Lancelot.

“It’s true,” he defended. Lancelot quirked an eyebrow. “Fine, ten.” Merlin edited his answer. Lancelot still didn’t buy it. He didn’t want to scold the child; for fear that Merlin would retreat back into his shell. “Alright, eight.” Merlin crossed his arms and looked away from Lancelot. Percival had crept forward during Lancelot’s questioning and was now sitting next to the boy.

“Aren’t eight year olds supposed to be a lot bigger?” Elyan whispered to Leon and Arthur. Lancelot and Percival were trying to get the boy to talk some more. 

“This boy looks like he hasn’t gotten a decent meal in his life,” Leon responded. Arthur saw Merlin smile again. It wasn’t as big or bright as before, but it was still better than the sobbing ball of fear Merlin had adopted. Drake let out a feral growl before lunging forward and throwing Lancelot and Percival back away from Merlin. Arthur cursed himself for forgetting about the situation at hand. Gwaine made to dash towards the boy but Elyan held him back.

“We don’t have weapons and he’s a sorcerer,” Elyan reminded Gwaine. Gwaine still struggled against Elyan’s hold. Arthur didn’t know if he should try and help the child or not. Elyan had a point, but Drake could also kill Merlin without a second thought.

“You are going to leave whether you like it or not. This is not your forest and I will kill these men no matter what you say!” the leader shouted, gripping Merlin’s shoulders and shaking the boy forcefully. 

“Stop, you’ll hurt him!” Leon cried. He lunged forward to help the boy. Arthur couldn’t catch the man’s arm as he flew towards the pair. Drake snarled and threw a knife at the knight. Arthur wasn’t sure if it was a trick of the light but he could have sworn Merlin’s eyes had turned gold. The knife managed to catch Leon’s cheek and gave him a small scratch before imbedding itself in a tree. Leon hissed and put his hand up to the split skin. He drew the hand away to reveal blood on his palm. Merlin, meanwhile, kicked the man and managed to escape from his grasp. Drake gasped with pain and doubled over. He was clutching his stomach and his eyes were screwed shut.

“I’m not going to leave and you aren’t going to kill anyone!” Merlin cried. He was shaking badly, but Arthur was impressed he was standing his ground. All it took for the boy to go hide was someone snapping in frustration. It must have been the threat to someone else’s life that kept the kid from falling apart again. Merlin stood up a little straighter and squared his shoulders.

“Clearly, you need to learn to respect your elders,” Drake snarled before lunging towards the child. Merlin managed to duck under the man’s hands and skid out of his grasp. Arthur saw the mercenaries standing there, confused as to how to handle the situation. Arthur saw his opportunity.

“Start taking out the men,” he ordered. While he wanted to fight after the child was a safe distance away, the distraction could be used to their advantage. There was also no telling what Drake might do to the boy should he catch him. With this order, the knights nodded and began attacking the rest of their captors. Gwaine had appointed himself to protecting the child. The others began punching their way through the horde of mercenaries. Arthur turned to see Gwaine had sent Drake sprawling in the dirt and now had a tight hold on Merlin’s arm. The boy was pulled tightly against his side and was partially hiding his face against Gwaine’s thigh. Arthur was about to order his men not to kill the mercenaries unless absolutely necessary when he noticed they were already practicing that. There was no need to scar the child more than he already was. Arthur dispatched another enemy with a well-placed blow when he heard a roar of animalistic fury. Every stopped and turned to see Drake standing up. The power and anger seemed to radiate off the man. While there was no physical change, there was something more animalistic in his features. Like a rabid dog, Drake was snarling and snapping. His eyes were narrowed and his posture seemed to become more threatening. Merlin whimpered and pulled himself tighter into Gwaine’s side. Arthur began to search for something to throw at the man. Something to get his attention off of Merlin and Gwaine.

“You should have run while you still had the chance, boy,” Drake snarled. “And now I get to teach you what happens when you don’t obey me. The drunk will be the first to go!” he cried. Drake lunged towards Gwaine. Gwaine picked up a discarded sword and held it out. He was ready to pierce the mercenary’s heart. Gwaine pushed Merlin behind him and squared his shoulders so that the blade would face him straight on. 

“NO!” Merlin’s tiny voice rang out. Arthur threw a hand up to cover his eyes from the blinding light that seemed to burst from the child. He was distantly aware that the mercenaries were being thrown back from where they stood. Yet, Arthur himself didn’t feel like the light was affecting him at all. His stance was still steady on the forest floor. He felt no fear from the power the poured from the child. He actually felt rather safe and content. All he had to worry about was the brightness of the light. And Arthur had a feeling even that wouldn’t do a lot of damage. Finally, the light died down to reveal Merlin curled into another ball. His arms were wrapped around his knees and he was rocking back and forth, tears streaming down his dirty face. Elyan and Lancelot immediately went to check on the men.

“They’re still alive,” Elyan called out. Arthur wasn’t paying attention to him. He was paying attention to small boy who was still whimpering on the forest floor. Never had Arthur thought such power could come from something so tiny. The kid certainly didn’t seem to have a personality that screamed dangerous sorcerer. And yet, it wasn’t any of his men who had thrown several mercenaries off the ground with only a cry of distress. It was an eight year old who looked more like a six year old. A child who looked so delicate and fragile. A child who became afraid the moment someone showed anger towards him. But this was also the same child who had stood up to a man several times his size to protect someone he didn’t know. Arthur felt a headache come on with all the thinking he was attempting to do. Nothing was making sense.

Percival and Leon were trying desperately to calm the small child, with very little progress. Percival had taken to rubbing Merlin’s back while Leon was talking softly, probably about nothing. Gwaine was just standing in the same spot from before the burst of light. He was staring straight ahead, trying to figure out what had happened. Arthur decided Leon and Percival could handle the boy and went to check on the leader. Someone had hired this man to take Arthur alive. Hopefully Drake would be able to tell Arthur who. Drake was knocked unconscious, just like the rest of his men. He would need to be brought back to Camelot and interrogated.

Gwaine shook himself out of his own thoughts. One minute he was about to die and the next there had been a bright light. Gwaine assumed that was the light at the end of the tunnel, though he always assumed he’d be going to hell. He then realized that it was the child who had saved him. His scream of terror when Gwaine was about to be killed was what called upon such power. Surely such a child could not be human. Gwaine turned to see Percival and Leon trying desperately to calm the child down. Human or not, the kid was still very afraid. Gwaine wondered if it was because of the knights that were near him. Perhaps he felt threatened. The sky had begun to darken and it looked as though it might rain. Gwaine looked to see the child’s eyes were still glowing gold as he continued to do magic. It shouldn’t be possible for one so young to have such power, but Merlin was definitely there. Gwaine made his way over to Merlin and knelt down in front of him. 

“Hey, kiddo, everything’s alright. You don’t have to be afraid,” Gwaine said. He reached up and rested his hand on Merlin’s shaking shoulder. Merlin looked towards Gwaine.

“Don’t tell him where I’m at,” he sobbed. “Can’t know. He can’t know,” he began repeating. Gwaine looked at Leon who just shrugged. 

“Probably his former master,” Percival suggested. Gwaine pulled the boy in so that he was tucked against his side and looked at the large knight.

“What do you mean?” he asked. 

“He’s acting much like a slave. And I saw the brand on the underside of his wrist,” he explained. Leon pried Merlin’s hand away from his knee and flipped it over. He moved the rough leather from the coat away from Merlin’s wrist and sucked in a breath. Sure enough there was a patch of burned skin in a clear pattern. It looked like a triangle within a circle. But the brand was distorted, probably due to the child’s continuous growth. Gwaine fought the urge to growl, knowing it would probably only scare Merlin more. He hated the slave trade. He absolutely despised the idea that humans could be sold and treated like animals. The thought made his stomach churn. What made it worse was the fact that he was currently holding a shaking and sobbing child in his arms who couldn’t be more than eight. A boy who was probably living in the forest in order to escape detection from his former master. Gwaine rubbed Merlin’s arm soothingly before leaning down.

“He’s not coming after you. We won’t let him get you,” he promised. Hopefully the man in question wasn’t near the clearing and wouldn’t know where the boy was located. Merlin sniffed before wiping his nose on his sleeve and looking up towards Gwaine.

“Promise?” 

“Promise,” Gwaine said, giving the boy on last pat on the shoulder before standing up. Merlin stood up as well and looked around.

“They’re still alive?” he asked.

“Yes, Merlin. They are all still alive,” Leon assured the boy. Merlin stared at Leon for a second before gasping.

“You’re hurt!” he cried out. Arthur whipped around to see what damage his head knight had sustained. All he could see was the small cut on his cheek. Leon raised a hand to his cheek and wiped the blood away. 

“It’s nothing. It probably won’t even scar,” Leon replied. Gwaine felt himself be pulled down as Merlin attempted to climb on his back. Gwaine shifted and helped pull the kid up before he hurt himself. Merlin leaned over Gwaine’s shoulder to study Leon before breaking out in another toothy grin.

“I can fix it!” he cried, leaping off of Gwaine and grabbing Leon’s hand. Merlin stumbled a bit but managed to get ahold of his footing before setting off into the forest.

“That’s really alright,” Leon attempted to protest, only to have Merlin pull harder on his hand.

“No, I found a spell. I can fix it. And then you won’t have to wait,” Merlin exclaimed. Leon allowed himself to be led through the forest by the young boy, the other knights following with amused expressions on their faces.

“What about Drake?” Leon asked.

“He’s secure. We’ll come back for him later,” Arthur informed Leon. Arthur may have been a bit harsh when he tied the ropes, but Drake didn’t really need to use his hands for anything. So losing them wouldn’t be a major problem.

“Have you ever done this spell before?” Percival asked. Merlin shook his head.

“I want to try it though. The book says you start with small stuff and work your way up,” he explained.

“You can read?” Gwaine gasped. It was unheard of for slaves to read unless they were captured noblemen. He didn’t even learn to read until he was nine. Merlin nodded enthusiastically and continued to pull on Leon’s hand.

“Are you sure you won’t make it worse?” Leon asked in a shaky voice. As much as he appreciated the child saving their lives, he wasn’t about to entrust the boy to do something he may mess up. Leon didn’t want to walk back to Camelot with an extra head, or bad breath, or even worse, baldness. Merlin didn’t answer. He just continued to pull Leon through the forest, tripping over every root and rock. Leon was amazed the child didn’t alert the mercenaries of his position before falling into the campsite. He was equally amazed that no one seemed to have tracked the boy’s location yet, given that he was doing absolutely nothing to hide where the group was going.

“Here we are!” Merlin exclaimed, stopping in front of a large cave. Everyone skidded to a halt and stared at the massive rock formation. 

“This is where you live?” Arthur asked. He couldn’t help but wonder how such a bright and vibrant child had been reduced to living in a cave with clothing he had probably found discarded on the side of the road. There was something strange about Merlin. It could have been the magic he possessed, but Arthur felt it run deeper. It was almost as if he and Merlin were meant to find each other. As if destiny intervened and sent Merlin stumbling towards the mercenaries knowing it would be Arthur who would come back with him to the cave. Arthur didn’t want to believe that the fates had planned his life out from the very beginning, but he knew he couldn’t just leave Merlin in the middle of the forest. One way or another, Merlin was coming back to Camelot with Arthur and the knights.


	3. Chapter 3

“Come on! Come on!” Merlin exclaimed. The little child grabbed Leon’s hand again and tugged him into the mouth of the cave. Arthur and the other knights followed. Inside was slightly cooler and more damp than the outside air. The cave was also dark, the only light coming from the entrance where the sun peaked through the forest canopy. While the cave was certainly large enough for someone to live in, there was no evidence that this was the home of anything other than the odd creature seeking shelter from the elements. Arthur looked around and saw no burn marks from a fire, no blankets for keeping warm, and no food to eat. Also, there was no evidence of books. Merlin said he had found the spell in a book, so there should be at least one here. Arthur suspected that a powerful sorcerer might be able to cast spells to hide his existence. However, Merlin didn’t seem to have a very good handle on his magic. It was finicky and tied to his emotions. The boy seemed smart and willing to do almost anything to survive. Surely he wouldn’t risk being discovered in something as open as this cave. Then again, Merlin did seem to be very trusting towards the knights. They did try to protect him from Drake, but the child didn’t seem bothered by them before that. 

Arthur wanted to groan and hit his head against the wall. This child was so contradictory. Afraid of everything and nothing. Trusting everyone and no one. Never wanting to fight but always wanting to protect. It was just the sort of innocence and stupidity one would expect from a child. Arthur wanted to keep that innocence in Merlin for as long as possible. It was clear that the boy had been through some sort of trauma. The way he cowered and begged for mercy was evidence enough, but Merlin would never live a normal life if he stayed out here in the woods.

Arthur was drawn out of his thoughts when Merlin let go of Leon’s hand and skipped over to the far wall of the cave. The child literally skipped. He was just sobbing on Gwaine’s shoulder ten minutes ago, begging not to be sent back to his former master. And now he was back to being carefree and naïve. The boy switched emotions faster than Morgana. Arthur was going to get whiplash if he stayed around the child for much longer. Merlin, meanwhile, started humming and knocking against the wall softly.

“Merlin, sweetheart,” Percival called out, “what are you doing?”

“Maybe he’s crazy?” Elyan suggested. Percival cuffed the back of Elyan’s head and glared at him. Merlin didn’t answer either of the men. Instead, he gasped with delight and smiled. His eyes flashed gold and the large boulder rolled away smoothly. In the dark cave the gold was more pronounced than in the brightness of the forest. Little gold rings circled around the pupils, revealing the true power that such a small vessel held. What was perhaps more impressive was the small room that was hidden behind the boulder. Merlin giggled and skipped through the small opening. 

“That is brilliant,” Gwaine whispered. He stepped through the entrance, ducking so as not to his head on the low-lying rocks. The other knights followed in wordlessly. But the tiny warlock wasn’t done with his display yet. He whispered some more words; the familiar circle of gold reappearing for a second before fading. This time, it was not a great feat of strength that was completed. Instead, tiny balls of light began floating at different heights around the room. They gave off a comforting orange glow that helped to light up the cave. Arthur reached for one that was floating at eye level and ran his fingers through it. It felt warm and safe, like thick blankets during a summer storm. Arthur let out a small laugh and pulled his hand out of the light. The little lights were so delicate and beautiful, a complete contrast to the raw power that was forced out of the child today. These lights were made out of comfort and happiness. Arthur could feel it in the hum of the magic. He wondered if the others could feel the warmth as well.

There were hundreds of lights floating around the cave. Some were large and some were small. They were all at different heights to provide the most amount of light available. Each light was placed so that there were very few shadows, save for some corners. The room looked like the sun was shining directly into it. 

Arthur took this chance to also look around. He wondered how well off Merlin actually was. The objects in the cave were modest to say the least. There were no tapestries or portraits that hung on the walls. But Arthur could see smooth spots that appeared to have been decorated with charcoal. Though they were a child’s drawings, he could tell that most were of animals. There appeared to be deer, wolves, cows, and possibly a dragon or wyvern. Arthur remembered Jeff and wondered if Merlin had ever met any other wyverns. There was also a section of the wall that was just a bunch of handprints. There was no definite pattern. It looked as though Merlin just got bored, smashed some berries, and then spent the next hour slapping his hands against the wall to see what would happen. That seemed like a very Merlin thing to do.

Arthur drew his eyes away from the wall and continued looking at the other objects in the cave. A small fire ring had been set up towards the middle of the cave. There were some soot smudges around the ring, though it did look like Merlin cleaned every so often. Next to the fire lay two tattered blankets. Arthur assumed one was to keep a layer between Merlin and the ground and the other was to keep him covered. Though the boy had magic, it was worrisome to see such a small child with such thin blankets. Arthur didn’t think the tattered pieces of cloth would help at all with holding heat in. He decided that was the first thing he was going to give Merlin was a nice, thick blanket. One that the boy could curl up under and fall asleep knowing that its warm weight would help to keep him safe during the long night. Aside from the blankets, there was a wooden bowl, plate, and cup along one wall. The dishes appeared to be drying from a wash. They similarly appeared to be hand carved. Arthur wondered if Merlin used his magic for the task or if he actually carved them with a knife. There was a small knife resting with the other dishes so it was possible Merlin used it to carve. 

Arthur stepped forward and felt something tickling the top of his head. He looked up and smiled to see several different herbs, fruits, and meats suspended above his head. They were all floating innocently among the balls of light. Occasionally, two would knock together but otherwise continued moving slowly along a path. Arthur wondered if the plants were continuously floating or only did it when Merlin was in the cave. He was sure there was probably a spell to keep the plants constantly suspended. What this cave had the most of was books. Several tattered tomes littered the floor. Some were in English, but some were in languages Arthur could only guess. Each book was well read. They showed signs of love and joy as a child turned the pages enthusiastically, seeking the new worlds of knowledge that each had hidden within its pages. The crash of wood brought Arthur back to the cave. Merlin had dropped an armful of wood into his meager fire ring.

“Forbearnan,” Merlin said. His eyes lit up with joy as the wood caught fire and began to crackle merrily. He turned to Arthur and beamed. He probably wasn’t used to showing off his magic to people. He was just like any other child, seeking praise and attention for the things he was good at. Arthur offered him a comforting smile in return, hoping that it was enough for now. Merlin continued grinning and walked towards a particularly large pile of books underneath a picture of something that appeared to have the body of a lion, wings of an eagle, and face of a bear. It was hard to tell if such a creature was from the boy’s imagination or if it actually existed. 

The young boy seemed to have a pretty comfortable place of dwelling for his hide out. But it still was no place for a child to live, not alone at least. Merlin should be with a family that loved him and cared about him. Even the poorest children of Camelot usually had friends or families that they could turn to in times of need. Granted, Arthur didn’t have the most loving father in the world, but even Uther managed to show Morgana and him just how much he cared at times. Merlin literally had no one. As far as Arthur could tell, the boy had something named Rowena and a wyvern named Jeff. Shouldn’t a child have friends to share his secrets with, to get into trouble with? It wouldn’t be too incredible to believe that Merlin had never been told that he was loved, that he was cared about by someone. Looking at the child now, one would never suspect the dark past he had been forced to endure, that he was still enduring. Merlin needed someone to keep him safe from the nightmares and his past. Arthur had seen just how thin Merlin’s emotional barriers were. In the end, Merlin would be consumed by fear and turn into those sorcerers Arthur fought almost weekly. He couldn’t let such goodness fall through the cracks. He couldn’t let down Merlin.

“I know it’s here somewhere,” Merlin muttered under his breath. He was carelessly tossing books behind him, searching for the spell that would heal Leon’s cut. Lancelot stepped closer to Arthur and Gwaine.

“He can’t stay here,” Lancelot whispered. Arthur nodded. His internal monologue had convinced the prince that Merlin too precious for this world to lose. He needed to be protected.

“It’s too dangerous. He needs to be somewhere safe,” Arthur replied in a hushed tone. Merlin didn’t appear to be paying attention to the small group, but Arthur didn’t want to risk a backlash. He seemed like the kind of person that didn’t want to be told he couldn’t take care of himself. Elyan and Percival joined the quiet conversation.

“Are we just going to ignore that a powerful warlock is living within the borders of Camelot?” Elyan hissed. There was that too. Arthur shuddered to think of who would get Merlin first: his father’s supporters or the wild and unpredictable nature of the forest.

“We are not just ignoring it,” Gwaine said. “But we need to figure out some way to protect him. The boy looks like he’s starving. I don’t think he can last another winter.”

“It might be easier to just kill him now, not force him to live in a world with such prejudice,” Elyan said.

“If you lay a hand on that boy, so help me God-“ Gwaine threatened. Percival put a hand on the knight’s shoulder to placate him.

“I think we should do everything in our power to ensure the child is safe,” Percival said.

“Thank you,” Gwaine muttered. He glared at Elyan, causing the other knight to shrink away.

“But how are we going to bring this up?” Percival asked. “Merlin is a smart boy. He will have looked at all possibilities for ensuring his survival.” Arthur and the other knights stared at Percival. The man hardly ever said two words at once, and now he was giving in-depth looks into the psyche of a child. Arthur was completely unaware that Percival was so smart and pensive. Then again, if all you do is listen it’s not hard to believe you would get good at understanding the workings of human emotions.

“He’s young, and an escaped slave by the looks of it. The idea may have never crossed his mind,” Lancelot shrugged. 

“Or it may have but was deemed to dangerous for the other party that would be involved. Remember, Merlin looks out for others more than himself,” Elyan supplied.

“Here it is!” Merlin cried out in triumph. “I found this journal of a guy named Gwillem of Cambria. He sounds kind of crazy, but the spells I have used so far really work!” Merlin explained. He flipped the book open to the appropriate page and began to read out what he needed. With each ingredient, the corresponding plant fell from the ceiling and into Merlin’s bowl. Leon knelt down next to Merlin and smiled. A bundle of sage flew into the back of his head, tangling in his curly hair.

“Merlin, where did you learn how to read?” Leon asked. Merlin bit his lip and looked away from Leon.

“One of the maids taught me. She wasn’t supposed to. She’s gone now,” Merlin sniffed. Leon reached up and stroked Merlin’s hair.

“I am so sorry. I’m sure she’s proud that you are reading to help someone,” Leon said. Merlin looked up and nodded.

“Thank you. She was really nice,” Merlin whispered. He grabbed the herbs that had been neatly placed into a bowl and began to grind them into a green paste. Leon continued to pet Merlin’s tangled hair, providing the boy with a sense of security and comfort. Merlin leaned into the touch, not fully aware that he was doing so. His tongue stuck out of his mouth, his eyebrows were drown together in concentration. When the paste was done, Merlin reread the spell several times before looking back to Leon. His eyes were slightly red and puffy, but they still held a spark of hope that never seemed to abandon the child. Leon knew in that moment that he never wanted to let Merlin go. These were dangerous thoughts as the child was magic and Leon was a knight of Uther. But even that didn’t stop Leon from wanting to keep Merlin safe and by his side.

“Ready?” Leon nodded and mentally prepared himself. While he didn’t think Merlin would purposefully hurt him, there was a slight chance the spell would go wrong and possibly injure Leon even further, or rid him of his beard. Leon did not look good without a beard. Merlin smeared the green paste onto Leon’s cheek before placing his hand on it and began to chant. “Ahlúttre þá séocnes. Þurhhæle bræd.” His eyes flashed gold and he sat back. He looked a bit more fatigued than before. Doing so much magic at once was probably draining the young boy of his strength. Merlin wiped the goop from Leon’s cheek and cheered.

“It worked!” he exclaimed. He threw his arms in the air and flopped back. 

“Good job.” Leon patted the boy’s arm before joining the others.

“He needs to be taken somewhere safe,” Leon hissed upon reaching his friends.

“That’s what we were discussing. He can’t stay out here. Someone could find him and use him,” Lancelot agreed.

“He may be powerful, but he’s still a child. He still scares easily and there’s no telling what could happen if someone like Cenred got their hands on him,” Percival said. The others nodded in agreement. It was decided, Merlin wasn’t going to stay in this cave any longer. He was going to find a proper home with a proper family. Arthur cleared his throat and got Merlin’s attention. Merlin sat up and looked at Arthur with a tired smile.

“Merlin, what you did today was amazing,” Arthur began.

“Thanks. I love helping people. I sometimes think that I could do really cool things. But I try not to do very big stuff. I don’t want him to find me,” Merlin rambled, his smile dropping with the last few sentences. Arthur went to kneel down next to him.

“You are very powerful. But, Merlin, you can’t stay out here forever.” Merlin’s smile dropped from his face completely. He furrowed his brow and tried to comprehend what Arthur had just said.

“Why not?” he asked. Arthur looked to the others for reassurance. Percival gave him a weak smile before gesturing for Arthur to continue. 

“Merlin, you are just a child. You need someone to take care of you.” The change was instantaneous. Merlin ceased looking carefree and instead looked like a cornered animal. He immediately went on the defensive and began backing away from Arthur.

“No I don’t. I can take care of myself,” Merlin cried. The cave began to rumble and the child’s eyes glowed gold. Arthur reminded himself that this was just a scared little boy and not a dangerous sorcerer. Merlin wouldn’t hurt Arthur or his men, he hoped.

“I understand that you think-“

“No! I can take care of myself. I have for a year,” Merlin snapped. He stood up and walked towards the other end of the cave, crossing his arms and glaring at Arthur and the others. Percival stepped forward.

“Merlin, you are eight. Don’t you want a family to live with? Someone who can give you a pleasant childhood? Someone who loves you?” he asked. Merlin bit his bottom lip and Arthur could see tears starting to leak from his eyes. Merlin shook his head furiously.

“I don’t need anyone. I am fine,” his said. Arthur could hear the slight shake of the child’s voice. 

“You are doing excellently for yourself. But you need to think long term,” Lancelot tried. Outside, the rain began to pour down from the sky. 

“I can’t. He’ll find me,” Merlin whimpered. Arthur then understood what the child’s fears were. He didn’t want his former master to track him down. The forest was the perfect place for hiding out long term. If you could survive long term, that is. 

“Tell us who this man is and we’ll help you,” Leon promised. 

“No. I don’t need your help,” Merlin cried. Outside, a clap of thunder shook the sky, causing the knights to jump at the sudden noise. The little balls of light began to dissipate, turning the cave into something cold and empty.

“Merlin, if you stay out here, you could get sick or seriously injured. Please, come back to Camelot with us and let us find you a home,” Lancelot pleaded. Merlin’s eyes went wide and he pressed himself against the wall.

“No. No. I’m not going back with you. You won’t kill me. I’m not a monster,” he sobbed. Arthur stepped forward. Merlin let out a shout and dropped to the floor. Arthur was trying to be as nonthreatening as possible, but he didn’t think it was working.

“No, you’re not a monster. You are a child and you need help. Merlin, we won’t hurt you. We just want to help,” Arthur pleaded. Merlin curled into a ball and continued to sob. His arms flew over his head and wrapped around it, trying to block out what was causing so much fear. The sight made Arthur’s heart break.

“No. You want to use me. I don’t want to be used. I thought you liked me,” he cried. The storm continued to rage out of control outside the cave. The thunder began to crash even louder in the sky. Despite being inside, streaks of lightning still lit up the darkened cave in frightening succession. The rain came down even harder, shaking the cave. Thunder caused the ground to vibrate with its power. And in the center of it all, a scared child who wanted nothing more than to be safe from the monsters who haunted him.

“We don’t want to use you!” Elyan shouted over the pounding rain. Merlin’s only response was to huddle in on himself even more. Leon looked around wildly. All this shouting was only making the situation worse. Merlin wasn’t in his right mind. He wouldn’t listen to the knights so long as they continued to assault him with pleas and promises. The boy had been taken advantage of one too many times. Now all his fears were being manifested through a ferocious storm that would only further Merlin’s fear of his power. It was time for Leon to take control.

“Everyone, calm down,” he said in an even tone. He wasn’t sure how much everyone heard over the rain, but it still had the same effect. The knights all turned to Leon and stared. The curly haired knight placed his hand on Gwaine’s shoulder and pulled him towards the entrance of the cave. He then stepped towards Arthur and repeated the action.

“Leon-“ Arthur protested. Leon put a finger to his lips and dragged Arthur through the door.

“We are overwhelming him. He doesn’t feel safe, and he never will if we keep pestering him,” Leon explained in the calmest voice he could manage. Outside the storm still raged. Leon took a deep breath and thought of how to best calm Merlin down. The child probably would not be fully able to listen for the next few hours, and Uther would probably be waiting for a report from Arthur on the success of his mission. Not to mention Drake needed to be taken back to Camelot and interrogated. As much as Leon didn’t want to leave Merlin, especially like this, it was probably the best option. By respecting Merlin’s wishes to leave, the knights might be able to forge a stronger bond to Merlin. The child might be more willing to listen to their suggestions. But, even if Merlin wanted them to leave, he was still a child. And children craved the affections of adults. Merlin thought that the knights were people he could trust. He probably still wanted them to stay and protect him. Leon had to show that the knights also wanted to stay and protect him. A simple act might be enough to keep Merlin from becoming too distant. Leon unbuckled his cloak and walked back towards Merlin. Arthur grabbed his forearm. Leon mere shrugged him off and continued towards the child.

“Go away. Get out!” Merlin shouted. “I want you to leave!” Leon knelt down and draped the cloak over Merlin’s shaking shoulders. He ran his fingers through Merlin’s hair a few times before speaking.

“Merlin, we’re going to leave now. If you need anything, you know where Camelot is. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it,” Leon said. Merlin didn’t respond. He instead gripped the cloak and tugged it tighter around himself. Leon rubbed the boy’s back before standing and walking out of the cave.

“We’re just going to leave him?” Lancelot hissed.

“He won’t survive another week with the state he’s in,” Percival said. Leon held up a hand to silence the group.

“The boy is scared. He’s never had anyone of authority who has cared for his wellbeing. We will let him cool down for a few days and decide how to best hand the situation,” Leon explained. Arthur understood what he was trying to get at. There was probably a better way to handle the intervention. Instead the knights had cornered the poor boy and harassed him until he felt as though there was nowhere to go. Arthur would have probably reacted in much the same way if he were a starving child living in a cave. Of course Merlin was scared. Arthur felt like kicking himself for being so stupid. 

“What do you suggest we do?” Gwaine asked, trudging through the forest. It was still raining buckets and made it difficult to trek through the tangled forest. The men reached the mercenaries, still unconscious from Merlin’s attack earlier. Percival slung Drake over his shoulder and started to carry him back towards Camelot.

“At this rate it’s going to take us till nightfall to get back,” Elyan groaned.

“Leon, what do you want to do about Merlin?” Lancelot asked. Leon chewed on his lip before responding.

“I think only one or two of us should go to Merlin the next time. We can tell him to come to us with any problems. We can also go once a week to check on him, bring him food, make sure he is healthy, things like that,” Leon said. The rain had started to let up ever so slightly. While there was still the occasional clap of thunder, it was nothing compared to the violent storm that had raged just a few moments ago.

“There’s a daily patrol that runs by the cave. It shouldn’t be too difficult for us to swing by every week to check on the kid,” Gwaine affirmed. Everyone nodded with this plan and continued to walk back.

“How long until we meet with him the first time?” Lancelot asked. 

“We should wait until the rain stops. Merlin is controlling it so when he calms down, so should the weather,” Percival said. Everyone nodded. Arthur hoped that they would still be able to save the tiny child who lay shivering in the cave.


	4. Chapter 4

It was already dark when the knights managed to trudge back through the gates and up to the castle. The steady downpour ensured that the trails would be covered in a slick layer of mud. When the knights weren’t slipping and falling into mud puddles, they were sinking into the soft earth. It was also pitch black outside. Due to the clouds, no stars shown nor did the moon. There was nothing to light the way. All of these things combined made it incredibly difficult to navigate back to the castle.

Of course, the knights also had a captive to think about. Drake had woken up twice. But not for very long. Gwaine was still working through his frustrations about leaving Merlin and ended up using Drake’s head to vent said frustrations. Though not before Drake managed to bruise Percival. After waking up, the man would kick and struggle against the strong hold of the large knight. He was vicious and unrelenting. The first time he woke up, Percival dropped him in surprise. The subsequent awakening was caught by a much more aware knight.

All in all, it was an awful night to be a knight of Camelot. The knights were muddy, tired, sore, and worried. Merlin wasn’t in the most stable of states when they had left him in the cave, as evident by the unrelenting torrent of a child’s tantrum that continued to make the knights walk through a living hell. Arthur half thought about giving up and just sleeping on the muddy floor of the forest. But Sir Leon reminded everyone that they had no shelter or covers to keep out the cold. There was still a chance that bandits were active, despite the night. And, the sooner they got to Camelot, the sooner they could better decide a course of action in regards to Merlin. Of course Leon made a lot of sense, and that just made Arthur want to punch his loyal knight even more. Just once could Leon do something stupid and potentially dangerous? It couldn’t always be up to the others to think of stupid solutions

And then there was Lancelot. Leon was being his normal, annoying, intelligent self. Gwaine was too frustrated to form coherent sentences (a blessing. Arthur didn’t think he had the patients to not murder Gwaine tonight). Elyan was too busy trying to navigate the way through the forest to dwell on any of his thoughts. And Percival was too busy trying not to fall now that he was more top heavy. But Lancelot didn’t have anything to focus on. His trudge through the forest became a sort of meditation, allowing him to focus on everything that could go wrong while the knight’s were away in Camelot.

“Perhaps we should have left more cloaks for him,” Lancelot said, nervously toying with the gloves on his hands. Arthur sighed and turned to the knight.

“He is still upset. Plus, Leon gave Merlin his cloak. The boy will be fine,” he replied. He was trying very hard not to lose his temper with Lancelot. Normally, Arthur would have had a better hold on his emotions. But he was so worried about Merlin, it kind of scared him. He had barely met the child, and now he was constantly turning over in his mind every bad thing that could happen. These thoughts made Arthur’s stomach turn with something intangible. Something that he rarely felt. These feelings towards Merlin, ones of love and the need to protect, caused Arthur to bite his lip, fidget constantly, and feel as though he needed to run away from everything. This was unnatural. This wasn’t right. While Arthur didn’t think that Merlin would intentionally cast a spell on him, there was a possibility that the child did it unintentionally. The need for love and acceptance was so great that his magic latched onto the first available host. But even this thought didn’t stop Arthur from imagining the most unimaginable scenarios. Merlin getting captured by bandits. Merlin being tortured by Cenred. Merlin being trapped in a cave-in, screaming for help but knowing that no one was around. Tears dripping from his face as he slowly accepted his fate to die in the dark, unable to escape.

Arthur was almost glad that it was raining so heavily. The constant need to pay attention to his surroundings provided a small respite from these fears. Putting one foot in front of the other, finding the closest tree to help stabilize his footing, trying to keep up with the rest of the group, these were things that could keep Merlin from Arthur’s main thoughts. But as soon as the group stopped to rest, everything would come rushing back. More vivid and frightening than the previous bout. Arthur knew he would probably need one of Gaius’ sleeping tonics if he were to make it through the night. So long as it was raining, that would be a reminder that Merlin was still out there. Still alive. Still in danger.

After what felt like an eternity, Arthur and the others saw the great white walls of the citadel appear from over the hills and through the trees. Fires had been strategically lit to provide the guards with some light. To ensure that intruders could be seen from a long way off. Leon breathed a sigh of relief and straightened up.

“Finally,” he said. His voice was only slightly hoarse from the heavy breathing that he had been doing during the hike. “I thought we would never make it.”

“Let’s go,” Gwaine growled. “The sooner we get to Camelot, the sooner we can help Merlin.” He pushed past the others and began to make his way towards the large gates. Everyone followed quickly. Arthur could see their silhouettes. Every one of them was hunched over. Arms swinging weakly and feet literally dragging on the ground. It was a sad sight indeed. Arthur bet that if he were to see his friends’ faces, they would all be ragged with the need for sleep, the exhaustion of the day finally catching up. Arthur took one look back at the forest. He prayed that Merlin would still be alright when they next met.

“I hope he has enough food and fresh water,” Lancelot murmured. Arthur didn’t know if the comment was directed at him or not. So he just clapped Lancelot on the shoulder and led him towards the citadel.

“He’ll calm down, and then we can go see him,” Arthur promised. Lancelot nodded, continuing his silent walk towards the castle. It was only about thirty minutes later when the group finally managed to walk through the doors of the Council Chambers. One of the guards at the gate had taken off running when they first appeared to get the king. Arthur had hoped they could have talked about what happened tomorrow. But Uther was a persistent man. Arthur wasn’t sure how well he could lie to his father in this state. He hoped Leon still had the mental capacity to create something believable. For as noble and rule following as Leon was, the man was surprisingly at ease with lying to the king. It was sort of frightening and exciting all at the same time. 

“Where the hell have you been!?” Uther bellowed as the group managed to all file into the chambers. “And who is that?” Uther wasn’t in a good mood. Apparently, Arthur and his men were suppose to have returned at sundown. Though Arthur clearly remembered his father saying not to come back until the beast had been taken care of. His father should really learn to communicate better. Percival dumped Drake on the floor unceremoniously and rolled his shoulders. An audible popping sound came from the joints as the large knight reset his bones. Arthur decided that he should give his father almost the entire truth, leaving out Merlin. If his father knew about the presence of a magical child in Camelot, there would be no stopping his witch hunts. Uther had been known to pursue sorcerers across borders, should he wish to make a point. 

“We found the beast and disposed of it. However, we were heading back to Camelot when we were attacked by a group of mercenaries. They were hired to take me alive. I brought back the leader in hopes of discovering who wants me and why,” Arthur explained. He left out a lot of information, such as how they managed to defeat the mercenaries, but hopefully Uther wouldn’t focus on that. Arthur had given less inclusive reports before and his father never said anything. But now would be the moment when he would decide to grill Arthur for every detail imaginable. 

“Are any of you in need of assistance?” Gaius asked. Arthur saw the old man standing behind Uther. He hadn’t noticed Gaius when they first walked in. Then again, a dragon could have been in the room and Arthur probably wouldn’t have noticed that either. He was so tired. The floor looked like a mighty good place to take a nap.

“No, the men did no damage to us,” Leon responded. His voice snapped Arthur out of his sleep-deprived state. Gods he prayed that his father wouldn’t have any more questions. Uther studied Leon for a moment before turning to Percival.

“Take him down to the dungeons. I shall interrogate him when he awakes. The rest of you, get some rest,” he commanded. Before any of the men could respond, Uther turned on his heels and swept out of the chambers. Gaius sighed and looked at the men.

“Gentlemen, I would like a more complete story tomorrow,” he said simply. The old man hobbled out after Uther, leaving the knights to their own devices.

“I’ll come with you, Perce” Elyan muttered. Percival nodded and picked up Drake. He hesitated slightly before doing so. He obviously did not want to put such a heavy burden back on his shoulders after being relieved of it. In the end, though, he slung Drake back over him and marched out of the room. Arthur saw the two of them leave before deciding to address Gwaine, Leon, and Lancelot.

“I will see you all tomorrow. Have a good rest,” Arthur said. He knew he and the others weren’t going to have a very good rest at all. They would all be worried about the child. His only consolation was the fact that they had a plan for getting him to safety. Arthur resolved to ask Gaius more about the magic tomorrow. If he and the other knights were really going to do this, then they needed to know exactly what they were getting themselves into. While Arthur knew Gaius didn’t know everything, it beat talking to his other friend. Arthur stopped at a particularly large window and watched the rain run down the pane. It distorted the outside image. Things were never going to be the same in Camelot again.

oOoOoOo

“Sire, it is time to rise,” George’s annoying voice rang out through Arthur’s chambers. Arthur squeezed his eyes shut with the sound of curtains being opened. He knew light was flooding the room. He also knew that George was not going to give up any time real soon. Although George appeared to be a bootlicker, following every command the prince gave to the letter, he was also very deviant. A master manipulator, George could get Arthur to do things faster than any other servant. Arthur knew this, though he didn’t know how to stop it. It was as if George had his own special brand of magic that gently nudged Arthur towards actions that George wanted him to do. Not that Arthur would ever admit that fact to anyone. 

Arthur groaned and sat up. His eyes were still squeezed shut, desperately hoping that he would not have to get up. He and the other knights had arrived late back in Camelot. After the meeting with his father, Arthur needed to bathe to get all the mud out of his hair. After that, it was time for a quick meal. And after George had finally been convinced that Arthur wouldn’t die while he was away, Arthur finally got into bed. But he still didn’t fall asleep. Oh no, that would have been way to kind for his mind to find a rest. Nope. Arthur then tossed and turned for what felt like hours. Under the blankets he was too hot. With no blankets he was to cold. Laying on his side put an uncomfortable pressure on his shoulder. On his stomach, it was hard to breathe. On his back, he felt restless. 

Arthur knew that his lack of sleep (once he got into bed) was entirely Merlin’s fault. Even when the boy wasn’t here he still annoyed and worried Arthur all at once. How was that even possible? The rain was causing Arthur to worry. He didn’t know much about children, but he was sure that temper tantrums didn’t normally last through the night. If the rain had stopped it would have caused Arthur to worry. What if something had happened to Merlin and he was unable to help? Arthur felt like cursing Merlin. The boy was doing something completely new to Arthur’s emotionally stunted state. Arthur didn’t like it. Not one bit.

“Dreadful weather we’re having,” George stated, attempting to make conversation. There was a slight push in his voice. The push that warned Arthur to get out of bed lest something dreadful happen later. Arthur decided it would be a good idea not toe test George. He opened his eyes and stretched. 

“The lady Morgana wishes to dine with you today. So you must get dressed to have breakfast with her,” George explained. He was busy digging through Arthur’s clothes, trying to decide which would be the most appropriate for a breakfast with the King’s Ward. 

At the mention of breakfast with Morgana, Arthur became alert. Like a candle had been lit in his brain, he was no longer attempting to trick George into letting him sleep. As much as he loved Morgana, she rarely dined with him unless Uther was forcing them to pretend as though they could actually tolerate her. She was up to something. And when Morgana was up to something, then Arthur was usually dragged into it as well. Sometimes he really did hate that girl.

“Is my father joining us?” Arthur asked. That would put his mind at ease if his father were to be the one to initiate the “family” meal. Though Arthur would have to put up with a constant stream of critiques, he would at least know there was no ulterior motive. Unless his father was trying to marry him off to some princess, again. But an arranged marriage was easier to circumvent than whatever Morgana was planning.

“Not that I know of, sire. It will just be you and the Lady Morgana,” he replied. Arthur tried not to groan as he immediately began pondering what Morgana could be up to. It could be another attempt to woo Percival. Or maybe another attempt to force Uther to give commoners more rights. Hell, maybe Morgana just wanted to mess with Arthur by making him constantly worry about what she was planning. 

Arthur’s mind began playing tug-of-war with itself, trying to decide which worry was the most important at the moment. Morgana won since Arthur was meeting with her today. The rain hadn’t stopped, so hopefully that meant Merlin was alive. Gods, Arthur wishes he could go back to being blissfully ignorant about everything. Things were so much simpler when his father’s words held only the truth. How things had changed.

oOoOoOo

Arthur rapped his knuckles on the door and was greeted with the sight of Gwen. Oh yay! Another worry! Trying to worry about Morgana’s motives, Merlin’s wellbeing, and impressing Guinevere was going to be next to impossible. Arthur was glad George insisted on combing Arthur’s hair before leaving. Though Arthur really shouldn’t be surprised by Gwen’s presence. She was Morgana’s handmaid and best friend. Besides, wooing her wouldn’t be that difficult. He was charming, handsome, and good with a sword. He could ensure that Guinevere felt special during this visit. Unless Morgana decided to make things difficult and continually throw Arthur off his game. She loved doing things like that, the devious witch.

“Thank you, George, you can go now,” Gwen said sweetly. She gave George a gently smile, silently urging George to leave without any questions. George looked as though he was going to protest. Then Gwen’s expression changed. The smile was still on her face, but she moved her hands to her hips and narrowed her eyes. That stern and slightly frightening expression was enough to halt any of George’s protests. The servant gave Gwen a small bow before rushing off down the hall. Gwen could be truly frightening if she desired. Morgana too. The two women were an unstoppable team when it came to scaring people into submission. Arthur felt a little upset at the fact that Morgana and Gwen struck more fear into the hearts of the citizens than he did. He was the future king. Shouldn’t they be respecting his decisions?

“Brother dear, come in,” Morgana called. Arthur gasped and rushed through the door, closing it behind him. Morgana needed to practice more caution when it came to these things. She thought she was invincible. She thought no one would ever catch her. Arthur knew his sister was lucky, but he still didn’t want to take chances.

“Try and keep it down a bit. Anyone could have heard you,” Arthur hissed.

“No one is going to find out. We’ve known for years and only a few of your trusted knights and Gaius knows. Plus it is way too early for anyone of importance to be up. Idle servant gossip doesn’t always entertain our noblemen and ladies of the court. Quit worrying,” Morgana scoffed. Arthur rolled his eyes. Morgana had a point, but he would never admit it out loud. If word did get around the castle that Morgana had called Arthur her brother, most people would assume it was because they shared a sibling’s bond for one another. And that was true, in both blood and spirit.

Three years ago he, Morgana, and Leon had accidently gotten Lord Geoffrey drunk. It was funny at first. The normally reserved scholar began spilling lots of secrets about the castle that not even Gwen knew. And she seemed to know everything when it came to the gossip. Geoffrey told to group about how Lady Margret’s baby wasn’t her husbands but a servant’s. He explained how Sir Eric was deeply in debt due to gambling problems. How Sir Ethan and Lady Ellen had started courting one another. Little things. Mostly harmless things that were bound to come up in a castle full of bored and promiscuous nobles. 

But then the man started telling the group about Uther and all of the things he had kept hidden. The two biggest secrets being the truth behind Arthur’s birth and the truth behind Morgana’s parentage. Both revelations came as a shock. Arthur felt as though he were drowning and there was no one there to help him. Uther had lied to him. Uther had lied to his people. That day, Arthur saw a side of his father he never knew existed. Arthur was furious, and glad. Now that he knew that Uther wasn’t the perfect king he pretended to be, Arthur could look at his father’s policies and see which ones were pure bigotry. Arthur felt guilty. Shouldn’t he as a son want to keep his father in the purest of lights? But in the end, Arthur’s conscious came through and the thought of him persecuting hundreds of people for merely existing, for his father’s own hatred, won. He could fix the mistakes that his father made. He could be a better person. Children didn’t strive to be their parents. They strived to be better versions of them.

Of course Gaius found out that Arthur and Morgana now knew. The other knights also were told the truth about Uther’s two biggest secrets. Arthur knew other people knew Morgana’s relation to the royal family, but he didn’t know who knew about his and Morgana’s knowledge of the information. Of course when Morgana first found out she flew into a rage. Her focus was mainly on her birth, though a large part was also towards Uther’s part in the Great Purge. She felt betrayed that he had left her, that he would never properly claim her as his own flesh and blood. Her first thought was to castrate Uther. 

“So that he can never do something like this again!” Was her reasoning. But Leon and Gwen managed to calm her down. Arthur still was unsure exactly what was said to calm Morgana down. But in the end Uther stayed intact. It was only a few months later that Morgana then came to him about her visions. It was confirmed by Gaius that she was a seer. Arthur found a druid who helped Morgana control her visions so that they would be gentler on her. It was all he could do, but the gesture was well received. Morgana’s nightmares got better and she and Arthur became closer. But Arthur still worried that he was beginning to distance himself from his father. Their chats weren’t as long. He didn’t spend as many meals with Uther. Now, it was more like the two of them were king and loyal knight, rather than father and son. Arthur shook his head and pushed these thoughts from his mind. Morgana could smell weakness and attack like a wolf. Another frightening thing about her.

“Did you have a vision? Is that why I am so graciously graced with your presence?” Arthur sneered. 

“Graciously graced? Surely you can come up with more grown-up words and more creative words than that,” Morgana smirked. She flicked a bit of cheese at Arthur who retaliated with a bit of bread.

“Now children,” Gwen scolded, taking a piece of fruit for her own breakfast. “Behave yourselves or else I’m going to have to separate the two of you.” Arthur clenched his jaw and looked away from Morgana. It would not do to have Gwen see him as an overgrown child. He was trying to court her, not turn her into his mother. Morgana snickered before straightening up and cutting up some cheese to eat. 

“Even if I did have a vision, I wouldn’t tell you,” Morgana said. She rolled her eyes and tossed her hair back. Arthur fought the urge to kick her from underneath the table.

“You told me about the griffin,” Arthur said.

“Only because I had to. You would have died had you not known to use an enchanted lance. It was important. Life and death,” Morgana defended.

“You told me about Vivian,” Arthur shot back. “Surely me marrying her wasn’t life or death?”

“It would have been for me. That woman as my sister-in-law, I’d rather reveal my magic to Uther during a council session,” Morgana said. Arthur couldn’t help but agree. That girl was absolutely dreadful. Easy on the eyes, but not much else. It probably would have been life or death should Arthur have actually followed his father’s wishes and attempted to court the girl. 

“She’s not that bad,” Gwen said. Though her words were strained. Gwen didn’t like to say mean things about people. Another reason why Arthur loved her. Then again, Arthur wasn’t sure there was anything he didn’t love about Gwen. Gods he was turning into a girl. But it was clear from the way she clenched her jaw that Guinevere thought Vivian was not a nice person. 

“If you didn’t invite me here because of a vision, then why am I here?” Arthur asked. He was trying to get the conversation back on topic. His father would probably excuse him from his morning duties should he mention his breakfast for Morgana. All Morgana would have to do would be to toss her hair, feed Uther some lie about being worried for Arthur’s safety, and they would be good to go. Morgana and Gwen looked at each other and giggled. Arthur was on high alert now. They were probably trying to set him up with some girl.

“Tell me about him. I want to know everything.” Morgana smiled. Whoa, why did Morgana seem happy for Arthur? And who was this him she mentioned?

“What?” 

“Where is he going to live?” Gwen asked. “Elyan was dead on his feet yesterday when he returned so I didn’t want to bother him,” she explained. 

“Who are we talking about?” Arthur asked. Morgana and Gwen didn’t hear and instead continued to pester Arthur with questions.

“How old is he? In my visions I see him at various stages so I’m not really sure how old he is,” Morgana continued.

“So you did have a vision,” Arthur cried in triumph. Morgana rolled her eyes.

“I only tell you because I’m curious. I imagine he’ll stay with you or one of the knights until more permanent accommodations can be settled. Gaius would also be a good choice. He needs an assistant” she continued. 

“I hope he’s cute. We need more eye candy in Camelot,” Gwen said. Morgana giggled.

“The knights aren’t good enough for you. Talk about your shirtless hotties! And from what I’ve seen, he’s a real charmer. He’s kind of got that shy and adorable look to him,” Morgana responded. Gwen squealed. At this, Arthur had enough.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about so just spit it out,” Arthur snapped. Gwen quieted down, making Arthur feel guilty. Morgana glared at him. Her eyes were piercing through him, making him feel even more self-conscious. 

“Don’t play coy with me. Remember, seer? I know you’ve met the man who’s going to shape you into a great king.” Arthur furrowed his brow and stared at Morgana. 

“And Kilgarah said you would feel a connection the moment you saw him,” Gwen added.

“Wait, wait, wait. You spoke with the stupid lizard?” Arthur asked. He groaned. Kilgarah never gave a straight answer if he could help it. And he kept going on about Arthur trying to find the other half of his coin or some crap like that. Sometimes, a simple map or timeline would really help Arthur in attempting to fulfill his “destiny”.

“Well we really didn’t have anything to do yesterday, so yes,” Morgana responded. Arthur highly doubted that Morgana had nothing to do. 

“Guys, I hate to tell you this, but I haven’t met anyone recently who is staying with me.” Morgana and Gwen looked at each other.

“But my vision showed you meeting during the hunt yesterday. And Kilgarah said that you found Emrys,” Morgana said, clearly confused. They were doing that weird silent communication thing that all girls seemed capable of doing.

“Sorry to disappoint, but I didn’t meet any bloke named Emrys,” Arthur snapped. Sometimes he hated how nondescript Morgana’s visions were. Three days ago, she saw Elyan with a stone heart. What the hell was up with that? Sometimes they were really specific and descriptive. Morgana had seen Gwen on the throne several times over the past year. Other times, they were nothing but brief flashed. A battle here, a monster there. No dates or outcomes, just a quick look into the future.

“Emrys isn’t his birth name. It’s what the druids call him,” Morgana snapped. She had that look on her face that made Arthur feel stupid. It wasn’t his fault that he didn’t know hardly anything about magic! That was Morgana and Percival’s area of expertise. “He could be called Joe or Francis or even Bob.”

“Bob?” Arthur asked. That wasn’t the name he would give to an all-powerful sorcerer.

“Some parents are just cruel to their children,” Morgana shrugged.

“Like Lancelot’s?” Arthur snickered.

“I think Lancelot is a fine name,” Morgana snapped. Arthur was about to retort when Gwen spoke up.

“Children, let’s focus on the problem at hand,” Gwen said, returning the conversation back to its point of origin. “Now Arthur, you said you didn’t meet any man?”

“Except for the one who tried to cut off Leon’s head and rip out Gwaine’s heart. I really don’t think he’s your guy,” Arthur explained. Gwen gasped and Morgana looked worried.

“Are they alright? Uther didn’t tell me anything. He just said not to worry my “dainty little head” over the situation,” Morgana said. She looked furious over Uther’s terminology.

“First off, if you would stop pretending to have headaches every time you didn’t want to do something, then you probably wouldn’t be seen as dainty,” Arthur said. “Secondly, who the hell thinks you’re dainty? You have most of this castle scared of you. And thirdly, everyone is fine. No one even suffered a scratch,” Arthur finished. Gwen let out a sigh of relief and sat back in her chair. 

“How is that possible?” Morgana asked. Leave it to Morgana to focus on the one aspect that he had tried to keep a secret from everyone. He could tell Morgana, of course he could, but he was worried about who else was focusing on Arthur’s weak story. Sometimes he wondered if Uther was an idiot or just selectively ignorant.

“Well this kid came tumbling down a hill and helped defeat-“ Arthur’s mouth dropped open with realization.

“This Emrys, he’s powerful, right?” Arthur asked.

“He’s supposed to be the most powerful warlock to ever walk the earth,” Gwen affirmed.

“Warlock means…”

“He was born with his powers, he didn’t have to learn them like Gaius,” Morgana said.

“That means it would probably be pretty instinctual, right?” Arthur asked.

“I would imagine so. Arthur, where is this going? What does this have to do with the kid you found in the woods?” Morgana snapped. Arthur leaned forward and massaged his brow.

“You may think this is crazy, but I think the boy is Emrys,” Arthur said. He sat up and looked at Gwen and Morgana.

“When you say boy, how old is he?” Gwen asked.

“He’s a boy,” Arthur said, throwing his hands in the air. While Merlin had been insistent that he was eight, a part of Arthur still didn’t believe that.

“Well that doesn’t mean anything. He could be 18 or 21. You and the others think anyone younger than yourselves is a boy,” Morgana said, rolling her eyes. How was she not getting dizzy with all this eye rolling?

“He’s eight, at the most,” Arthur responded.

“And you think he’s the most powerful sorcerer to walk the earth?” Morgana asked, almost scoffing at the notion. “Come on, Arthur, even you must have some idea of what a powerful sorcerer is,” Morgana exclaimed. Arthur stared at Morgana. He was trying to figure out what Merlin’s age had to do with any of this. Surely young people could hold a great deal of power. Gwen saw Arthur’s confusion and came to his rescue.

“Most warlocks don’t start having powers until they are older,” Gwen clarified. Arthur nodded his understanding but continued on his explanation.

“Yeah, well, this one did. He healed a cut on Leon’s face, knocked out every mercenary in the clearing, and I’m pretty sure he’s causing this storm,” Arthur said. His previous worries began to creep back up into his mind. Morgana’s vision had been a nice distraction. But they had led back to Merlin. Everything seemed to be leading back to Merlin nowadays.

“That’s impossible,” Morgana breathed. She was in complete awe of this child.

“He didn’t even need a spell when he knocked back the mercenaries. He just screamed,” Arthur sighed. Merlin as a normal sorcerer was manageable. Merlin as the most powerful being to walk the Earth, that was going to be a slightly more difficult secret to keep.

“So the man who is supposed to make you a great king is literally a child?” Gwen said. Arthur nodded.

“A very damaged child. Leon and Percival think he’s an escaped slave,” Arthur explained. Gwen sucked in a breath.

“The poor boy,” she exclaimed softly. 

“Why didn’t he come back with you guys?” Morgana demanded.

“We tried to convince him to come back with us, but it didn’t work out.” Morgana crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. Arthur was once again guilted into something that wasn’t his fault. At least, he was trying to convince himself that causing Merlin to panic wasn’t his fault. It wasn’t really working. “We crowded him and pushed him too much. He was probably overwhelmed and lashed out. Anyways, he now hates us and doesn’t want us anywhere near his cave,” Arthur sighed. 

“Arthur, you need to bring this boy back to Camelot,” Morgana said. Arthur stood up and began pacing the room.

“Don’t you think I’ve tried? Leon thinks we should give him a few days to cool down and then go back. The kid is scared that we’ll use him or give him back to his former master,” Arthur cried.

“And do you want to use him?” Gwen asked. 

“Of course not,” Arthur huffed. “How could you even ask that? I want him to be safe.”  
“Just making sure,” Gwen said quietly.

“And why do you think you want to keep him safe? You’ve only just met the child,” Morgana asked. 

“I don’t know. It’s weird, I’ll admit. But the feeling is still there,” Arthur groaned. He wasn’t even sure how to categorize the feelings he felt towards little Merlin. “How is he supposed to help and protect me if he’s only eight?”

“Maybe you need to protect him first, make sure he can get to a point where he can protect you,” Gwen suggested. 

“Maybe. Did Kilgarah mention anything else?” he asked, turning back towards the two women. It was a long shot, but Kilgarah sometimes did mention outright what needed to be done. Morgana huffed and slumped back in her seat.

“He hates me. He never tells me anything,” she said.

“He seemed happier that you were going to find the other half of your coin,” Gwen added. Arthur groaned. Great, just great. The other half of his coin was an emotionally unstable escaped slave who looked six but insisted he was eight and had very little control over his magic. Arthur was going to go grey just trying to keep the kid’s head on. At this rate, he would die before his father due to stress. And he hadn’t even inherited the throne yet! He just hoped he and his knights could come up with some plan to keep the boy safe. It was his destiny, after all.


	5. Chapter 5

Lancelot paced nervously around Leon’s chambers. The continual tapping of his leather boots on the stone floor was the only noise in the otherwise quiet chambers. Lancelot was restless to say the least. The man was constantly moving ever since the group had come back from the cave that held Merlin. If Lancelot wasn’t pacing, he was drumming his fingers on something. If he wasn’t doing that, his knee was bouncing up and down in a rapid motion. The other knights were sitting at a table playing a card game. Gwaine had suggested the group have a sort of “boys night out” in an attempt to get Lancelot’s mind off of the boy. However, Leon didn’t want to visit a brothel (Gwaine’s first suggestion). Lancelot didn’t want to drink himself into a stupor (Gwaine’s second suggestion). Percival didn’t fancy going hunting again (Gwaine’s third suggestion). And Elyan wasn’t too keen about playing pranks on various castle residents (Gwaine’s fourth suggestion). This led to the knights all playing a very boring game of tarot cards in Leon’s chambers with very little alcohol and no gambling. Gwaine knew this wasn’t his most successful of wild parties. It hadn’t even made Lancelot forget about his worries. Gwaine was worried too. He was worried that something terrible would happen to the kid and they wouldn’t be able to help him. Instead, the knights were all sitting here playing cards while a poor boy was shivering and alone in the middle of a storm. So yes, the card game was a complete disaster because now everyone was restless and worried about Merlin. Gwaine decided he still needed to try and help Lancelot. That was the point of this entire thing.

“Lance, relax will ya?” Gwaine called. Alright, not his best line. But the other knights seemed to give each other tense smiles before starting to slowly dissipate some of the tension.

“You’ll wear a hole through the floor,” Elyan added. Lancelot moved the curtains to show rain still pouring down outside. A steady drum beat on the glass pains. The water droplets hit the window with a ping before rolling down and continuing their descent towards the ground. The water obscured the view of the outside, darkening the sky world around and turning it into something dreary and melancholy. Gwaine wished Lancelot would close the curtains. Hopefully then Gwaine would be able to ignore the thoughts of Merlin feeling the same way. He remembered the kid having such a bright smile when he healed Leon, like nothing bad would ever happen. Gwaine looked away from the downpour and tried not to think of Merlin. Lancelot had other ideas. 

“Guys, it’s been three days. I’m worried,” he said, not taking his eyes off the outside world. Below there were a few servants running across the courtyard, trying to not get too wet. Most people were staying inside. Even Arthur had agreed to cancel training until the field they normally practiced on was no longer flooded. Leon sighed and turned towards Lancelot. 

“I know you’re worried. I’m starting to get worried as well,” Leon admitted. “One of us should go down and at least make sure he’s okay. This rain could be nothing more than some bad weather.” Lancelot nodded. Leon had a point. This wasn’t the first time there had been days of rain in Camelot. This could have nothing to do with Merlin whatsoever. But even Leon didn’t sound convinced in his reasoning. This wasn’t just a coincidence. Something was wrong. Everyone could feel it. It was in the air, in their words, in every action. Merlin was in trouble and they had to be the ones to fix it. It may have been Arthur’s destiny to become a great king. The knights might not play any direct role in Merlin and Arthur’s relationship. But they still felt a connection with the child. They still cared about the boy and everything he stood for. They couldn’t just let Merlin go. They were his guardians.

“I have the afternoon off. I can ride down with some food and blankets and hopefully talk to Merlin some more,” Lancelot said. Gwaine put down his cards. Lancelot wrapped himself back in his cloak and made his way towards the door. Hopefully Merlin would be in the mood for talking.

“I’m coming with you,” Gwaine said, standing and making his way towards the door. Lancelot was grateful for this act. Merlin seemed to trust Gwaine. It would also be nice to have someone there with Lancelot, just in case things got hairy again.

“Gwaine, you have a patrol this afternoon. You can’t skip it,” Leon reminded the knight. Gwaine slammed his fist on the table and stood up. The action caused the others to jump.

“Merlin doesn’t react well to anyone! He barely knows Lance but he saved my life. He might see me as less of a threat because I owe him,” Gwaine shouted. Percival stood up and patted Gwaine on the shoulder comfortingly. Leon straightened the table and attempted to think of things that could convince Gwaine to stay.

“I know you want to help the child,” Leon said, “but we can’t draw attention to him. If he is going to live here in Camelot with us, we need to keep him as inconspicuous as possible. Uther doesn’t have pity on anyone with magic, child or not. We cannot risk Merlin’s safety. A knight skipping a routine patrol to visit a former slave in the woods will cause suspicion. Just let Lancelot go, he’ll be fine.” Arthur had announced to Leon that he had intentions of keeping Merlin with him and the knights. Leon thought it was both the safest option and the most dangerous. No one would expect five knights, the prince, and the king’s ward to harbor a sorcerer. And Merlin already knew the knights so he would be more willing to trust them. However, trying to hide a warlock right under Uther’s nose was probably the most dangerous thing Leon had ever tried to do. It would be different if the boy could actually control his powers. But from what Leon saw, he was more reliant on his emotions than anything. Still, after Arthur explained that Merlin was to help him unite all of Albion and shape him to be a wonderful king, Leon knew the child needed to stay here with them. This didn’t stop Leon from staying up at night and going over every scenario in which he fails as a protector. 

“I will take my leave immediately. Hopefully I’ll be back by nightfall,” Lancelot said. He swept out of the chambers and began to prepare for his journey. Gwaine scowled.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” he muttered before turning to prepare for his patrol. Percival and Elyan waved their goodbyes before also leaving the room. Leon sank back in his chair and looked around the chambers. Only a few candles cast light on the room, leaving much of it in shadow. The fire was roaring in an attempt to keep most of the heat in. It as quiet here. Now, there was only the sounds of rain to keep Leon company. A sound that he hoped would be disappearing soon. 

oOoOoOo

“Has the prisoner said anything?” Uther snapped. His patience was wearing thin towards the man called Drake. Somebody wanted to take down Camelot and Uther wanted to know who it was. He suspected Cenred. The bastard was always trying to claim lands for himself. Uther continually stopped him, but if this was his doing then there would be nothing that could stop Uther from war. Then there was Odin. Another scornful king who wanted what Uther had. Perhaps these two men were plotting together to overthrow Uther using his son. Well, their plans were going to fail. Uther would make sure of it.

“He refuses to talk,” Sir Kay responded. Even facing Uther’s wrath, the knight was still composed and not showing a hint of fear. Arthur sighed and leaned back in his chair. Drake awoke yesterday in one of the deepest cells Camelot had. The guards that had been stationed there immediately found Uther who delegated Kay to questioning the man. Uther also had the foresight to put cold iron on Drake so that he couldn’t do any magic. Arthur’s account of the experience and the reactions of his men were not wished to be repeated. It was also decided that Kay should be the one to do it and not Leon, since Leon had been a victim. But after several hours, Kay still had nothing. Uther was getting more frustrated by the minute. 

“Do something harsher then. We need to know who hired him and why,” Uther snarled. Kay bowed and exited the room. Arthur tried to pull his attention back to whatever his father and some lords were talking about, but he couldn’t help but hear Kay speaking softly to someone else. Arthur looked back to see Leon and Kay talking to one another. Leon glanced at Arthur and motioned for him to leave. 

“Excuse me, Father, Leon and I need to discuss some things,” he said. He prepared to come up with what exactly Leon wanted to discuss. He didn’t think any of them sound very good. But, Arthur didn’t end up using any of his excuses. Uther just waved disinterestedly at Arthur. Clearly the yearly grain exports were more interesting than Arthur and Leon’s potential topics of discussion. Arthur took that to mean he could leave before standing up and walking to Leon.

“Lancelot is going to talk to Merlin today,” Leon whispered, leading Arthur out of the council chambers and into the hallway. A few servants and guards were scattered about.

“The rain hasn’t stopped yet, though,” Arthur replied.

“That’s what has me worried. Something could have happened to the child.” 

“I agree. It has been getting worrisome. I hope the kid is okay,” Arthur said. Last night he had had a particularly bad nightmare about Merlin being found by his father and burned at the stake. The Merlin in his dreams screamed for Arthur to come help him, but Arthur just sat by his father and watched as the child went up in flames. Arthur swallowed and attempted to force the image from his mind. Leon chuckled.

“Careful, sire, you appear to care about someone,” he said. Arthur gave him a playful shove before turning into his room.

“Shut up. I just understand what a valuable asset he’ll be,” Arthur snickered. 

“Better not let Morgana hear you say that. She may be your sister, but she will make you suffer should she think Merlin is being mistreated,” Leon responded.

“Have you thought of how to keep Merlin with us?” Arthur asked. He had been racking his brain but to no avail. He could always ask Gaius to look after the kid, but Gaius was old and Merlin seemed like he would be difficult to keep an eye on. Of course one of the knights could claim it as their own child, but Uther might not react well to the news. He was always looking for excuses to try and belittle the commoners who had become knights. 

“I have some ideas,” Leon said, trying to hold back a grin. 

“What did you have in mind?” Arthur asked, suddenly suspicious of his senior knight’s intentions. 

“Oh, you’ll see,” Leon laughed. Arthur knew it was no use to press for more information. He just sat down at his desk, reading over some documents. It was times like these that Arthur really hated how much he trusted Leon. Knowing the man, Merlin was probably going to become Arthur’s servant or something.

oOoOoOo

Lancelot wiped more water from his face as the rain continued to pour down. He really wished Merlin would change the weather to anything else, well maybe not snow. There were some weather patterns that were even worse than a steady downpour. But seriously, why couldn’t Merlin make it sunny? Lancelot was cold, wet, tired, and the horse he was riding on was very tired. The entire forest seemed to be one giant mess of mud and water. This little development meant that Lancelot could really only go about half of his normal speed. The horse was breathing heavily and struggling to keep its footing on the slick path. He should have just gone on foot. It probably would have taken the same amount of time.

Lancelot wondered what got Merlin so worked up that the child had caused such a massive rainstorm. While he seemed upset when the knights were pestering him, he also seemed like the kind of person who would forgive easily and not hold a grudge. Perhaps it wasn’t magic that was causing such horrible weather in Camelot. Perhaps it was just natural like Leon mentioned before. But Lancelot still felt the need to go and check on the boy. He patted some blankets and packets of food he had tied to the horse to ensure they were still there. When Gwen found out Lancelot was going to visit Merlin, she had laden Lancelot with so much supplies that he had to leave some behind. The blankets would be soaked through, but Merlin could just dry them off with magic should the need arise. Lancelot bit his lip and tried to convince himself that Merlin was still okay, that he wasn’t currently dying of some terrible disease or injury bestowed on him by Drake. It wasn’t working. 

Lancelot got to the cave from before and sighed with relief. He tethered the horse right inside the entrance and relieved her of her burden. Once sheltered from the rain, the horse seemed to perk up. There was still the occasional shiver, but she was resting now and that was all Lancelot needed to know. With his arms full of blankets and food, Lancelot walked to the large boulder that hid Merlin’s actual home. It was moved partway, revealing a sliver of the cave. Lancelot peeked in to see Merlin’s still form next to the fire, Leon’s cloak still draped over him. Lancelot placed the supplies down and sat right by the boulder. He had to go about this carefully. He didn’t think bursting into Merlin’s home would be the best way to establish trust between them.

“Merlin, it’s Lancelot.” Lancelot paused for a minute, realizing that Merlin probably didn’t know his name. “One of the knights from a few days ago, from the clearing. You helped save us from Drake,” Lancelot clarified. Merlin made no indication that he heard him. Lancelot thought the silent treatment was a bit childish, before remembering that Merlin was a child.

“Listen, I know you didn’t want to come with us, but we still thought you should have some more blankets and food. Think of it as a thank you for saving us,” Lancelot continued. He peeked back around the boulder to see Merlin still lying there. He leaned back and ran his hand through his hair.

“Merlin, I know you can take care of yourself. Your home is amazing and your magic is just beautiful. But we would still like to help you. You wouldn’t have to come live with us or anything. We’d just visit a few times a week, talk, bring some food, books, things like that. Is that alright with you?” Lancelot looked back in and groaned when he realized that Merlin hadn’t turned towards him once. Clearly Lancelot was wrong. Merlin was the kind of boy who could hold a grudge. 

“Look, Merlin, I get that you’re angry at us for imposing, but at least stop the storm. The people can’t survive much longer if it keeps raining like this. The crops will flood, the food will rot,” Lancelot pleaded. He hated using a guilt trip and it may only serve as a backlash later, but he was desperate to get Merlin to talk with him. He heard a small whimper and turned back. Something in his gut was telling him something wasn’t right. It was the same feeling that had been with him since they left Merlin three days ago. But now it was stronger. It was almost painful and it was pulling desperately on Lancelot, begging him to go into the cave with Merlin. Lancelot decided this was the best action. Merlin may be upset, but maybe if Lancelot was in the cave, he’d feel less angry. Lancelot stood and ducked under the entrance. He stepped into the cave and realized that the fire wasn’t going like it should be. It was barely giving off heat. Lancelot added some logs and continued to look around. It was much darker and drearier than when he first came in. There was only a single orb of light floating aimlessly in the cave. There was no direction like before when the orbs had been placed to give the best amount of light. Lancelot looked at Merlin and realized that the child was shaking badly. Lancelot gasped and rushed towards his side. He put his hand on the boy’s shoulder and withdrew it immediately; Merlin was burning up. He was so hot that even touching him hurt.

“Merlin!” Lancelot cried, shaking the boy gently. Merlin groaned and curled into a tighter ball. Lancelot pulled back Leon’s cloak and widened his eyes when he saw Merlin’s pant leg bunched up to reveal a badly infected cut. It looked as though a talon had sliced the young boy’s leg. Merlin had never properly cared for the injury, that much was obvious. No wonder he hadn’t answered Lancelot. He was dying. 

Lancelot looked wildly around for anything that could help Merlin, but none of the herbs were labeled and there were too many floating around for Lancelot to find yarrow. Now the signs of Merlin’s illness had began to fully hit Lancelot. The single light that was probably created out of habit rather than purpose. The sagging plants that were barely scraping the ground. Scraps of meat that had just fallen where they had previously hung. The cave was a mere shadow of itself, unable to truly be the beautiful splendor that Merlin had created before.

Lancelot looked back at the feverish boy before making a decision. Merlin was getting help whether he wanted it or not. Besides, he was in no state to say no the Lancelot or fight his decision. With this thought, Lancelot wrapped Merlin back in Leon’s cloak and scooped him up into his arms. He squeezed back through the entrance, which was harder with Merlin in his arms, and ran to his mare. He set Merlin in the saddle. He untethered her and led out our of the entrance of the cave before swinging up behind the boy and galloping back to Camelot. The mare seemed to sense Lancelot’s urgency and did her best to speed herself up. The horse started to slow after a while, due to the mud. Lancelot groaned and continued to urge her forward. He wondered how long Merlin had had the cut and why he hadn’t done anything to help it. He knew about herbs, surely he could have dressed it and healed it. 

Lancelot finally made it back to Camelot and tore through the streets. Luckily no one was out because of the bad weather. He entered the courtyard and sprinted towards Gaius’ chambers. Someone would deal with his horse later. Right now he had to make sure the child in his arms got proper care. Lancelot vaulted through the doors, causing Gaius to jump. Gaius took one look at the boy before moving about the room.

“Put him on the bed,” he barked. Lancelot gently placed Merlin on the patient’s cot and unwrapped the cloak around his shoulders.  
“What happened?” Gaius asked.

“I don’t really know. He has an infected cut and a high fever,” Lancelot explained. He was glad Gaius didn’t ask who he was or why Lancelot brought him in. He simply continued to mix a potion together. Lancelot collapsed on the chair besides the bed and took Merlin’s small hand in his own. It was going to be a long night.


	6. Chapter 6

Lancelot was in a deep sleep. The kind that didn’t plague the mind with dreams or nightmares. The kind that allowed the sleeper to fully rest his busy mind so that the following day he could think with a clear head. One would think that the discovery of a dying Merlin would have been enough to throw Lancelot into a state of nightmares. Nightmares that centered on his failure as a protector. But, Lancelot didn’t dream. He didn’t stir. He just leaned back in the old, wooden chair and allowed his mind to clear. Sadly, his restful sleep was disturbed quite violently by the door being thrown open. The force was enough to make it smack the wall with a loud “bang”. The sound of wood hitting stone resonated throughout the chamber, jerking the knight awake. His hand reached for his sword, ready to defend Merlin against any attackers that might have invaded the small room. Such an action, was not needed though.

“Lancelot,” Leon called out. Percival and Elyan were trailing behind him. Lancelot relaxed as his eyes fell on his friends. “What happened?” It was strange that Leon was lacking the finesse he normally had. Usually, when the senior knight entered a room it was quietly and without disturbance. Now, he seemed to lose all inhibitions and came charging in the room with such power, one would think he was Gwaine. 

“I went to the cave. I then discovered Merlin was unconscious with an infected cut. I immediately brought the boy back here. There was no way I could care for him in the forest,” Lancelot explained. It was a bit succinct, but Lancelot didn’t want to go over how panicked he felt upon seeing Merlin in the dark and cold cave. He turned to the boy and pulled the blankets up to his neck. It appeared that the youngster had not stirred during Leon’s rough entry. Lancelot didn’t know if he should be worried or relieved. He knew Gaius had done everything in his power to help. But it still wasn’t enough. Leon went over the bed and placed a hand on Merlin’s forehead.

“Gods, he’s burning up,” he murmured. Merlin muttered something incoherent and leaned into Leon’s hand. Leon gave a sad smile and began to run his hand through Merlin’s hair. A flash of red caught Leon’s eye and he turned to see his crimson cloak folded neatly at the foot of Merlin’s bed. He removed his hand and went to pick up the red cloth. There was no mistake, this was the very cape Leon had give Merlin that day in the forest.

“He kept it?” Leon asked to no one in particular. The way Merlin reacted to the knights, Leon suspected he had thrown away the cloth. Merlin whined once he realized Leon’s hand was gone. Percival took action to quiet the boy. He placed a damp cloth on his forehead that had been sitting in a bucket of water and began to gently wipe away the sweat.

“He was wrapped up tight in it when I got there,” Lancelot chuckled. Even when Merlin was in Gaius’ workshop, it was difficult to make the boy let go. He seemed to want to stay wrapped up in it forever. Leon didn’t react to the news. He just placed the cloak back at Merlin’s feet and sat down on the workbench. He couldn’t help but feel sad and happy at the thought that Merlin had held the cape so tightly in his hands. 

“What did you tell Gaius?” Elyan asked, joining Leon at the table. 

“He didn’t ask. I don’t think he would really care,” Lancelot replied. Gaius knew about Morgana’s magic and Arthur’s destiny. He wouldn’t care that the knights had brought in a magical child within the walls of Camelot. But, the less Gaius knew, the less they would have to worry about something slipping. Gaius wouldn’t give up information easily. Even so, it was dangerous to have too many people know about Merlin. 

And, something else had been troubling Lancelot. When Gaius first laid eyes on Merlin, he gasped. His face drained of all color. And he sat there for several seconds staring at the small child. It looked as though he had seen a ghost. Immediately after treating Merlin, Gaius left the chambers quickly. It was rather strange behavior from the old man that made Lancelot wonder if he had seen Merlin somewhere before.

“But still,” Leon’s voice dragged Lancelot out of his thoughts. “There will be questions. People saw you carry Merlin to the physician’s chambers. Uther will want to know what happened,” Leon stated. Lancelot sighed and took Merlin’s hand in his own. He was afraid that Leon would say something like this.

“I don’t know what to tell the King. Telling him the truth will be too suspicious. We can’t risk the child. Uther sees nothing but evil when it comes to magic.” Elyan nodded in agreement and pursed his lips.

“Arthur knows, he’ll be down later with Morgana to check on Merlin,” he said. Leon ran a hand through his hair. He stared at Merlin, trying to figure out a lie that would best protect Merlin. 

“I think I know what to tell the king,” he said. Lancelot sat forward, intent on grasping every word Leon spoke. Before the senior knight could relay his lie, the chamber doors once again opened. The occupants of the room, save Merlin, jumped at the sound of a wooden door once again hitting a stone wall.

“I hope you have a good explanation, Sir Lancelot,” Uther spat. An angry looking Morgana and a slightly fearful Arthur followed him in. Lancelot wanted to know what had gotten the king so worked up. It wasn’t as if Lancelot had brought in an army of druids, or impregnated a noblewoman. Uther was always so temperamental when it came to certain things. It was never clear how he would react to certain pieces of information. 

“I need to go,” Elyan muttered upon seeing the room was going to be very crowded. Percival followed behind him without a word. Uther took no note of the knights as they left. Morgana saw Merlin’s form on the bed and gasped.

“Oh isn’t he just adorable,” she cooed, rushing to the boy’s side and promptly kicking Lancelot off the chair. Well, she more shoved him off in a very unladylike way.

“Morgana!” Uther gasped in horror. Morgana glared at the man and began fussing over Merlin’s small form. 

“Sire, if I may,” Leon stated, standing to draw Uther’s attention off of Lancelot. “Sir Lancelot was out for a ride in the woods-“

“In this weather?” Uther asked, raising an eyebrow. Leon paused for a second and threw a fearful look towards Lancelot.

“Um, yes?” Leon said. “He-um. Well, you see-“ Lancelot decided to try and throw Leon a bone. After all, he was about to lie to the King. The least Lancelot could do was give an explanation as to why he was out in the rain.

“It was always a favorite pastime of mine to ride in the rain. It always feels… refreshing. I just haven’t had the time to do it now that I have become a knight,” Lancelot stated in a shaky voice. Uther seemed to buy this explanation and turned back to Leon.

“Anyways, he was riding through the forest when some slave traders attacked. Lancelot would have been taken had this boy not distracted them long enough for Lancelot to get away. Lancelot, being indebted to the boy, helped him escape as well and during the ride he collapsed due to an infection on his leg,” Leon finished hurriedly. He took a deep breath and attempted to calm his beating heart. Uther could see right through it. Leon was sure of that. There were too many holes. The was the knights were acting was too awkward. They would be found out. Merlin would be killed. They-

“Morgana, don’t coddle the boy too much,” Uther said while exiting the room. Leon’s train of panicked thoughts stopped and for several seconds, he stood there. Leon just stood there blinking, his brain trying to figure out what the hell had just happened. It was only after the door shut that his body began to recover from the shock. Looking around, everyone except for Morgana was having a similar experience.

“He bought that?” Arthur asked, dumbfounded.

“That was probably the worst lie we’ve ever told the man,” Lancelot said. Morgana wasn’t even paying attention.

“So this is the precious little thing you found,” Morgana said. She dipped the cloth back in the water and then continued to wipe the sweat from Merlin’s brow. Arthur rolled his eyes and went to sit by the bed.

“He’s not precious,” he muttered. Morgana let out a laugh.

“Don’t be daft, he’s adorable. A little thin. But, a few meals and a bath will go a long way in helping the poor thing,” Morgana said.

“How is he?” Arthur asked, completely ignoring Morgana. Morgana kicked Arthur in the shin, causing Arthur to fall back.

“I will get Gwen if you two don’t behave,” Leon threatened. Morgana and Arthur glared at each other but didn’t attempt to harm each other any more. 

“Gaius said he’ll be fine in a few days. Though he won’t be able to walk on that leg for a little,” Lancelot explained. He was trying not to laugh at Morgana and Arthur’s antics. He only hoped Merlin was better behaved than these two. Leon was already balding due to the stress of trying to keep Morgana and Arthur in line.

“How was he able to survive for so long without dealing with the cut?” Arthur asked.

“I believe that is because of his magic,” Gaius’ voice called out from behind the group.

“What do you mean?” Arthur asked. He assumed Gaius already knew about the circumstances in which the child was discovered.

“Merlin’s magic keeps him healthy and heals his injuries. My guess though is that he has been doing too much magic these past few days for it to work properly. Between defeating a wyvern and saving you, the child hasn’t had time to properly heal himself,” the old man said.

“But he healed me,” Leon said.

“I imagine that he is the type to help others before helping himself. He should be awake today or tomorrow,” Gaius replied.

“How did you know about the wyvern?” Lancelot asked.

“I went to see Kilgarrah. He filled me in on the circumstances surrounding Merlin,” Gaius replied. 

“We really should stop relying on that scaly fiend,” Morgana scoffed. “One of these days he will demand a payment for his advice.” 

“I’m sorry, my lady,” Gaius said. “We have no other expert to turn to. We have to rely on him.”

“How are we planning on keeping him here?” Lancelot asked, turning the conversation away from the dragon and back towards more important things. After all that had happened, Lancelot could not, in good faith, allow the child back into the woods alone. He needed someone to protect him. Arthur sighed and stared at Merlin for several moments before responding.

“It will be difficult, but we should at least try,” he said. “There has to be some way we can keep him here.”

“Maybe this time you don’t pester the boy. He might be more willing to listen to your argument if he’s not being pressured,” Morgana snapped.

“Now my lady,” Gaius said, “the knights were just looking out for the child’s best interest. They just aren’t used to dealing with such a difficult child,” Gaius finished. Morgana pursed her lips but said nothing. 

“He’s not difficult so much as stubborn and afraid,” Leon said.

“Is he still in here?” Gwen called from the door. 

“Yes, he hasn’t gone anywhere, my lady,” Leon said with a slight bow. Gwen blushed but walked through the door nonetheless. She still wasn’t used to being treated as a noblewoman of the court. She squealed upon seeing Merlin in the bed.

“He is so tiny. He needs a bath,” Gwen said. She walked over to Morgana and adjusted the boy’s covers. “He’s skinny too,” she muttered to herself.

“Can you guys stop being mother hens towards Merlin,” Arthur spat.

“Oh, sire,” Gwen said upon realizing that Arthur was in the room. “I didn’t know that you were here. Not that you wouldn’t be here. I’m not saying you wouldn’t be worried about Merlin. But I figured that you would being doing something more important…” Gwen rambled. Morgana smirked.

“You could do so much better,” she said quietly. Gwen stopped talking and blushed even harder than before. “Personally, I think Lancelot is a much better man,” Morgana continued. Gwen took to staring at her shoes, as did Arthur and Lancelot. Leon chuckled.

“You know Gwaine’s going to be just as bad when he finds out,” the senior knight said. Arthur groaned and thought of how difficult it was going to be to control Gwaine after he discovered what had happened to Merlin. The knight wasn’t going to get anything done until Merlin got better, that was certain. The group spent a few more minutes around the unconscious boy before Leon brought up that they all had something to do.

“We can’t just leave him here by himself,” Gwen gasped when Leon suggested that they return to their duties.

“We can’t stay here much longer either,” Leon said gently.

“But if he wakes up he may freak out about being in an unfamiliar place,” Lancelot defended. “I don’t think he knows he’s even left the cave.” Leon looked around and sighed.

“Alright, I don’t have anything to do for the next hour. By that time Gwaine should be getting back and should be able to watch the boy until someone else can relieve him,” Leon said.

“I could give Gwen the rest of the day off,” Morgana suggested. She didn’t know how well Leon would be able to help a frightened child. Surely a woman would be a better source of comfort. Something about giving off a motherly atmosphere and making the patient feel comfortable. Morgana didn’t really remember Gaius’ explanation.

“No, Merlin doesn’t know who Gwen is. He might go into an even bigger panic if she were to be by his bedside and not one of the knights he’s already met,” Leon explained. Morgana reluctantly nodded.

“Then it’s agreed. Leon, I will see you later,” Arthur said. He gave Merlin one last pat on the head before walking out. Lancelot also stroked the boy’s hair once more before following Arthur. Gaius mentioned having to run into town for helping with a birth and also left. Morgana and Gwen both kissed Merlin on the forehead and followed the others through the door, leaving only Leon in the empty room. Leon sat down next to Merlin and began running his fingers through the boy’s matted hair. It calmed him down considerably when Lancelot repeated the action. Now he could only hope that it was bringing the small child some comfort.

“The first thing we’re going to do when you wake up is get you to eat a nice, hearty meal. I won’t be so cruel as to set the cook on you, but some stew would help with the sack of bones you’ve become,” Leon chuckled. “We’ll also work on getting you some clothes that fit and a bath.” Leon continued talking softly to the boy for the next hour, the only other sound was Merlin’s slightly laborious breathing. But even in that hour Leon could tell that the boy had improved greatly. His face was no longer the ashen color it had been and even his temperature had dropped.

Leon was only taken out of his mindless rambling when he heard the door creek open quietly. He looked up to see Gwaine slipping into the room. He was drenched from head to toe. 

“If you don’t dry off, you’ll catch a cold,” Leon scolded.

“It’s a good excuse to miss practice,” Gwaine shrugged and gave a halfhearted smile.

“You never need an excuse to miss practice.”

“Well, maybe I should start coming up with them,” Gwaine said back, though it was clear his heart wasn’t into it today. He was quiet and reserved. His shoulders slumped and his eyes seemed older than normal. 

“He’ll be fine,” Leon assured the knight. “Just in the hour I’ve been with him he’s improved greatly. You don’t need to worry about his safety.”

“I knew something was wrong,” Gwaine sighed. Leon stood up and stretched while Gwaine took a seat. “If he’s so ill, why hasn’t the rain stopped?” 

“I think it’s because he is unable to. His body is raging out of control and there is no stop on it. Instead of healing him, it’s almost fighting him,” Leon hypothesized. Gwaine nodded and took Merlin’s hand in his own.

“Maybe it’s the fates calling out, forcing him to Camelot,” he suggested.

“Then those are some cruel fates indeed,” Leon chuckled humorously. “I have to go do an inspection of the barracks. You may be getting some visitors soon. If he wakes up try to keep your voice soft,” Leon said. “And try not to look so sad. You might panic him.”

“Leon, I’ll be fine,” Gwaine said.

“If his fever starts spiking pile more blankets on him to sweat it out.”

“Leon, Gaius will be back soon. Relax,” Gwaine chuckled.

“Oh, and make sure he knows that he is safe-“

“LEON!” Gwaine cried. Leon stopped and turned to Gwaine. “I can watch one child for the night. I will be fine,” Gwaine said earnestly. Leon swallowed and nodded.

“Very well, I’ll just be going now,” Leon said before turning and walking out the door.

“Merlin, mate, do you want to hear a story?” Gwaine asked gently. The boy made no indication that he heard the knight. “I’ve got a good one about the time I spent in the Misty Mountains,” Gwaine started. “I’ll leave out the raunchy parts. There’s no need to give Leon a heart attack. Maybe when you’re older I’ll fill you in,” Gwaine said. With that, the knight leaned back and started to recount one of his many adventures as a wanderer. He liked to think that Merlin would enjoy those stories, though Lancelot’s might be better since he was more chivalrous. At the very least, Lancelot’s would be more appropriate. Then again, that would probably lead to more boring tales. It was more fun to hear about how Gwaine managed to get King Odin drunk and ended up stealing his prized hunting hound, only to release it in a brothel and then get banished from Odin’s land. Gwaine smiled and thought about how much fun he and Merlin were going to have in Camelot. The list of magical pranks they could do was piling up in Gwaine’s mind. Leon was definitely going to go grey and bald by the end of the year. But first, Merlin was going to have to recover. That was all that mattered at the moment. Gwaine would not fail in protecting Merlin. He couldn’t fail.


	7. Chapter 7

Gwaine was quickly brought back to the land of the living with a sharp poke to his cheek. The knight groaned, swatted away whoever was poking him, and continued to try and sleep. Once he woke up, there would be responsibilities. Only when he was asleep could Gwaine continue to live his life with no worries other than where the next tavern was. So he didn’t wake up. He snuggled down into the blankets and continued to gallivant through fields of endless mead, women, and other pleasures life has to offer. That is, until another poke from a small and bony finger once again found his cheek. This one was more insistent, pressing into his flesh for longer than before. It almost seemed as though his companion was trying to make Gwaine wake up. It was annoying but he could tell that this young lady was going to be persistent. 

Gwaine cursed his choice in women once again, though that would only last until the next night he went out drinking. Somehow, alcohol lowered Gwaine’s inhibitions and standards. He should really work on his drinking problem. Another sharp poke to his cheek. Gwaine groaned and attempted to ignore his most recent conquest. He didn’t want to have the awkward “morning after” talk with some girl. Why wouldn’t she just leave like all the others? Gwaine decided that the best course of action was to roll over, out of her bony reach. So that’s just what he did. He just didn’t account for the bed suddenly ending. Gwaine let out a yelp and hit the floor with a thump.

“Ow,” he groaned. There was no way he could pretend to be asleep now. Maybe a head injury would work? No, then she would probably run off to Gaius. He didn’t want to bother the old man quite this early in the morning. He rolled over on his back and opened his eyes. Blinking a few times so that he could see clearly, Gwaine put on his most charming smile and prepared to let his companion down easy. What met him wasn’t the sight of a woman, but rather a boy. A boy with raven hair and blue eyes. Gwaine’s sleep addled brain struggled to make a connection. When it finally did, Gwaine put on his bright and cheery smile, the one that he didn’t use to charm his way into the skirts of women.

“Merlin, kiddo, you’re awake,” he said cheerfully. He was trying to ignore the ache in his head from hitting the floor. Now that Gwaine was more awake, he took the chance to look at his surroundings. He was in the physician’s chambers, and he was still wearing all his clothes, even his boots. His feet were going to be extremely sore tomorrow. There was a lack of Gaius in the room, which was probably a good thing. Merlin didn’t do very well with new people. Gwaine managed to stand up and sit in a stool that was next to the bed.

“How are you feeling?” Gwaine asked. Merlin looked away from him and shrugged. He pulled Leon’s cloak up a little so that it was covering his shoulders. Merlin looked around the room, trying to gauge where he was at. Gwaine pursed his lips and tried to think of other ways to get the kid to talk.

“There was a man here earlier. He was scary,” Merlin whispered, looking at Gwaine with overly large eyes. Seriously, how did the kid get them this big? He looked like a puppy. 

“I’m sorry. That man was probably Gaius. He’s not that scary. He’s the physician. I know you didn’t want to come here. But you were very sick,” Gwaine said, all playfulness was gone from his voice. Merlin shrugged again.

“I would have been fine,” he murmured, still not looking away from Gwaine. Gwaine sighed and leaned forward so that his elbows rested on his knees. 

“When Lancelot went to check on you, he said you didn’t even recognize he had entered your cave,” he explained.

“I was sleeping,” Merlin said defensively. Gwaine smiled and ruffled Merlin’s hair. He looked around to see if Gaius had left anything for Merlin to take should the boy wake up. He saw a small vile next to a bowl of porridge and a glass of water. Gwaine grabbed the porridge and water and handed it to Merlin. 

“Eat this. It’ll make you feel better,” Gwaine said. Merlin took the bowl and stared at it. “Go on, its not going to bite you,” Gwaine joked. Merlin raised a tentative spoonful to his mouth and took a bite. He grimaced and swallowed.

“If its not going to bite, why aren’t you eating any of it?” Merlin asked, taking another spoonful and begrudgingly eating it. Gwaine leaned back and tried to think of a plausible answer.

“Because, I’m not the one who’s sick,” he finally said.

“I’m not sick!” Merlin cried, turning to Gwaine with a glare. Now he looked like an angry puppy. Gwaine let out a chuckle and ran his hand through Merlin’s hair. Merlin squawked at the contact and tried to swat Gwaine’s hand away.

“You may not be sick, but the cut on your leg was infected.” Merlin looked back down at his bowl with a sheepish expression on his face. “How’d you get that anyways?” Gwaine asked.

“Bandit,” Merlin replied simply. He finished off the porridge and drained the water down. Gwaine took the bowl and cup from him and handed Merlin the vile.

“Drink this too,” he commanded.

“Do I have to?” Merlin whined. Gwaine laughed and shook his head.

“Sorry, kiddo, if you want to get better, you’re going to need to drink this,” Gwaine replied. Merlin sniffed the contents before pulling back with a face.  
“This smells even worse that the porridge!” he cried. “What’s in this?”

“We make it a point to not ask Gaius what he puts in the potions,” Gwaine answered. Merlin looked at the potion, then back at Gwaine with large, pleading eyes. Gwaine almost relented right there and took the potion away from Merlin. But, he managed to remind himself that Merlin needed this if he was to get better. Right now, the boy was pale, shaking, and thinner than before. He had dark circles under his eyes, his skin was waxy, and he was sweating. He didn’t look like the boy Gwaine had met in the forest. He didn’t look like the boy who had saved the knights’ lives. Finally, Merlin took a deep breath and swallowed the potion in one go. He shuddered and thrust the vial back into Gwaine’s hands.

“I hate you,” he muttered, crossing his arms and pouting. Gwaine smiled.

“No, you hate Gaius. Tell him to make his potions taste better. I’ll support you,” he said. Merlin gave him a weak smile before yawning. 

“Are you tired?” Gwaine asked. He placed a hand on Merlin’s forehead to see if there was any fever. The temperature seemed to have gone down. Gwaine also took this moment to listen. He didn’t hear any rain hitting the walls of the castle. Hopefully this meant that Merlin was getting better. The door opened, causing Merlin and Gwaine to jump. Merlin grabbed onto Gwaine’s tunic and pulled himself into the knight’s side, shielding himself from the new visitor in the chambers. Gaius stepped in the room and looked at the pair.

“Did you give him his medicine,” Gaius said. He walked over to the bench and set down his bag.

“Yes, and the food that was on the table,” Gwaine said. He sat down next to Merlin and began rubbing the boy’s back. “Merlin, this is Gaius. He’s the physician. He’s not going to hurt you,” Gwaine said. Merlin looked up at Gwaine and pulled the knight’s head down so that he could whisper in his ear.

“Does he know about me?” Merlin asked. Gwaine assumed he was talking about the magic.

“Gaius does know.” Merlin’s eyes widened in a panic and his breathing increased. “But, he’s not going to tell anyone or hurt you,” Gwaine said hurriedly. Camelot didn’t need another rainstorm to drown her crops. Merlin still gripped Gwaine but nodded.

“Sir Gwaine,” Gaius said, stepping over to the pair. “I need to check his leg to ensure its healing.” Gwaine nodded and shifted Merlin so that the boy’s legs were hanging over the bed. Merlin winced as Gaius pulled up the leg of his trouser and undid the bandages.

“Do you mind telling me why one with your skill didn’t manage to heal such a minor cut?” Gaius asked.

“I forgot,” Merlin mumbled. Gaius looked up at the boy, raising his infamous eyebrow. Merlin sighed. “I forgot, then I remembered. Then I was too tired from healing Leon and stopping the bad man to do anything about it,” he explained. Gaius nodded and went to dab the cut with a purple paste. Merlin hissed and attempted to jerk his leg away, but Gaius held firm and refused to let the appendage get away from him. 

“Well, it looks to be healing nicely. No doubt your magic is helping it along.” Merlin looked proud at the last sentence.

“So, can I go home now?” he asked. Gaius looked surprised at the question, quite frankly, Gwaine was as well. Merlin seemed to want to be here, glued to Gwaine’s side. Why was he so stubborn?

“I’m afraid not, dear boy. That cut was horribly infected. It will take a few days for it to heal properly,” Gaius said. Merlin looked as though he was about to argue when Gwaine stepped in.

“Merlin, just wait it out here for a few days. You’ll be fine. Me and the others will help protect you,” Gwaine said. 

“Its not that. If I don’t use my magic, I get all itchy and sick. But I can’t use it here!” Merlin cried. Gaius looked thoughtfully for a few seconds before smiling.

“Merlin, that room back there is just a store room. Once a day you can go back there and do some small spells to help release some of your magic,” Gaius said. Merlin stared at him but then nodded. It was then that the door opened once again, revealing Leon and Percival.

“Sir Leon, Sir Percival,” Gaius said. “Merlin will be fine after a few days. No permanent damage should occur to the limb,” Gaius stated. He stood up and left to do his rounds, leaving the three knights alone with the child.

“Gwaine, you need to get to training,” Leon said. Gwaine groaned.

“Do I have to?” he whined. Merlin giggled and looked at the two knights.

“Sorry, Gwaine. We’ll stay here with Merlin,” Percival said. Gwaine grumbled and untangled himself from Merlin. He stood up, gave Merlin a sweeping bow, and left the room. Leon and Percival sat down on the bench and looked at Merlin.

“You seem to be doing better,” Leon commented. Merlin nodded and began twisting the blanket in his fingers.

“You want me to stay,” he said quietly. Leon sighed and leaned forward. He gently placed his hands over Merlin’s to get them to stop twisting the blanket.

“We do. But this is ultimately your choice,” he said softly. Merlin looked up.  
“If I’m found out, I could be killed,” he whimpered.

“If you stay out in the forest, the same thing could happen. Had Lancelot not found you, you would still be suffering. You may have even died,” Percival countered.

“I can take care of myself,” Merlin snapped. Leon and Percival looked at each other.

“No one is saying you can’t. What we are saying is that we want you here, in Camelot,” Leon explained.

“You want to use me,” Merlin said. 

“No, we don’t. We want to keep you safe. You’re different, Merlin. You’re special and we want to ensure that you have the resources needed to properly develop your gifts,” Leon said. 

“Why would you want me to develop my magic if you don’t want to use me?” Merlin asked.

“Because, you have potential to be something greater than yourself. You have the resources to help make this place better. If we let you back into the forest, there’s no telling what would happen,” Leon said.

“You don’t know what’s going to happen here either,” Merlin grumbled.

“We don’t. But we know that with five knights, a prince, a lady and her friend, as well as the physician, you can come closer to reaching your full potential,” Percival finished. Merlin looked at the two of them.

“Who is the lady and her friend?” he asked.

“Morgana is Uther’s daughter, and she has magic like yours. Gwen is her handmaiden, but she’s really is Morgana’s friend,” Leon explained. He reached over and brushed some hair out of Merlin’s eyes. 

“How about this,” Percival said. “You stay here for two months. If you don’t like it or don’t feel safe, then you can return back to the forest. If that happens, we will never bother you again.” Merlin bit his lip and pondered the proposition.

“Okay,” he said softly. Leon and Percival smiled and sat back. “But, my magic needs to be practiced once a day so I don’t get sick,” Merlin continued.

“That’s alright. I can set up a schedule so that you can learn with Gaius for an hour or two a day,” Leon said. He stood up and made his way to the door.

“Where are you going?” Percival called.

“To tell the others the good news and to secure Merlin’s job,” Leon responded.  
“What do you mean job?” Percival said.

“Well, he’s going to have to earn his living somehow. Don’t worry, it’ll be fine,” Leon said before disappearing through the door. Percival turned to Merlin.

“I think you’ll like it here,” he said. Merlin gave him a weak smile before launching into some tales he had done in the forest. Percival was content just to sit back and listen.

oOoOoOo

Leon knocked on Arthur’s door before marching in, not waiting for a command. Arthur jumped upon Leon’s entrance and glared at the man. He knew that Leon and Percival were meant to be watching Merlin. Hopefully the child had gotten better in the night and not worse. Leon didn’t look panicked so Arthur hoped Merlin was still doing well. 

“How’s Merlin doing?” he asked, returning to some papers he had been reading before Leon so rudely burst through the door. He really ought to exercise more control over his men. He outranked Leon, and yet Leon was constantly telling Arthur what to do. It was frustrating. 

“He’s awake now. He’s also agreed to stay in Camelot,” Leon said with a hint of a smile on his face.

“That’s excellent,” Arthur said. He dropped the papers in favor of turning to Leon and getting some more answers. “Do we know anything about his accommodations yet?” Leon grinned roguishly, causing Arthur to worry. Nothing good ever came out of Leon’s mischievous side.

“Actually, I got him a job,” Leon admitted. The smile on his face grew larger.

“A job? Are you sure that’s wise?” Arthur asked.

“Yes,” Leon replied. Arthur leaned forward. Now he was intrigued. How did Leon manage to secure Merlin a job so soon? And more to the point, what was it? It had to be something that Leon thought was safe. So something in the castle? 

“Are you going to tell me what it is?” Arthur asked, leaning forward. Leon smiled and opened the door.

“He’s your manservant.” Leon laughed before turning and walking briskly out the door. Arthur stared blankly at the open door before his brain finally managed to comprehend the situation that Leon had put him in. Once he did finally manage to release himself from the state of shock, Arthur stood up and ran to the door. 

“Why would you do that?” Arthur cried as Leon disappeared around a corner. He received no answer, only a booming laugh. Arthur groaned and made his way back over to the desk. The stress of having Merlin as his personal servant was already getting to him, and the kid hadn’t even started yet!


	8. Chapter 8

Morgana and Gwen made their way down the corridor towards Gaius’ chambers. The two women were absolutely glowing with jittery anticipation. Lady Morgana held a small smile on her face, not her usual smirk. Her eyes were alight with excitement and there seemed to be more bounce in her step than normal. The swinging of her arms and hips was graceful and dancer-like. She was lighter on her feet than normal. Hopefully that meant her nightmares were coming less often. However, there was a different reason that the pair was practically glowing with joy, though none of the other people would know the real reason. 

No, the lords and ladies of the court most certainly did not receive news about thirty minutes ago that a small boy had woken up. They didn’t care for such gossip. It was widely spread that Lancelot had returned from a ride with an injured boy, but that news was soon replaced with whispers of a lord’s new mistress. Of a lady’s impregnation, and other pieces of much more tantalizing gossip than a simple peasant knight rescuing a peasant boy. So the reason why Lady Morgana and her maidservant were practically skipping down the halls was lost to the public. But for the two women, life in Camelot was about to get more interesting.

Elyan and Percival had stopped by briefly to let Gwen and Morgana know that little Merlin had woken up. Elyan also sniggered through the story of how Leon had managed to get the boy a job as Arthur’s personal servant. Morgana couldn’t think of a worse punishment for the child. The prince was never in a good mood when he awoke. He was constantly complaining about how his armor wasn’t shiny enough, how his bath wasn’t warm enough, or whatever else Arthur found to complain about. The man threw things, was never satisfied, and was always looking for a reason to fire someone. The only one that lasted more than a week was George. For all the jokes about what a bootlicker he was among the servants, that man had guts. Morgana admired him for being able to put up with Arthur day after day. 

Upon hearing this piece of news, Morgana had hunted Leon down and demanded an explanation. The knight attempted not to cower at the lady’s scorn as he explained his reasoning.

“First off,” Leon had started, slicking back his hair and straightening his cape. “Merlin needs somewhere to live. Gaius is too old to take care of someone that young. I don’t trust Gwaine with him. Elyan and Gwen have enough on their hands as is. I can’t afford another servant. And Lancelot and Percival are often away from Camelot too much to properly support Merlin. This will be good for Arthur as well. He does care about the child and maybe this will help him become less of a spoiled ass.” Morgana had to admit that Leon’s reasoning made some sense. She wasn’t entirely sure how she felt of the young boy being used to help transform Arthur’s personality though.   
Of course, Merlin wasn’t going to be completely alone in this. He was too small to do a lot of the heavy lifting so George would still be employed. He could take care of the things like carrying the armor, saddling the horses, and other chores that would be too difficult for Merlin to do. There was also the added benefit of having Merlin live in the antechamber. There was an added layer of safety that came with being the prince’s manservant. He would likely be the last accused of practicing sorcery because of his job. 

Leon had also explained that Merlin would be going down to Gaius’ chambers once a day for two hours. This would help the boy practice his magic in a safe environment. It seemed as though Leon had thought of everything. Even how much pocket money Merlin would be given so that he could buy treats. Morgana smiled at the thought of Arthur trying to keep Merlin under his control. She had a sneaking suspicion that Merlin was not one to be kept down so easily. Morgana could imagining her brother fuming in his room, trying to comprehend the thought that he actually had a hyper little boy as a servant. Oh, this was going to be a lot of fun.   
One last corner and up the stairs, the two women reached their destination. Gwen put on a big smile, full of enthusiasm, before knocking on the door. Morgana felt her stomach flutter with nerves. Oh, she wasn’t afraid that Merlin was going to hate her. She and Gwen were going to spoil this boy beyond belief. But the thought of having a knew member of the Round Table was exhilarating. There was somebody else out there that was like her, born with magic. There was so much she could teach Merlin. They would become an unstoppable team. But first, she had to meet the boy. 

“Come in,” Gwaine’s voice called out from the other side. Morgana heard him speaking softly to someone, probably Merlin. Morgana pushed open the door and waltzed in to see Gwaine sitting next to a very tiny dark-haired boy. The same boy that had looked like death not but a few days ago. Now he was awake, and looking rather frightened. The boy, Merlin, gripped Gwaine’s tunic and pulled himself closer into the man’s side. Gwaine laughed and patted Merlin on the arm. He leaned down, his hair falling ever so slightly to curtain Merlin from Morgana and Gwen’s view.

“Don’t worry, kiddo. Its just the Lady Morgana and Esmeralda,” he said. Merlin looked at Gwaine for a second before giving a small, shy wave to the two visitors. Merlin. Gwen squealed. Morgana rolled her eyes. She wondered how much Gwaine had already corrupted her sweet, innocent boy. Oh, Morgana was going to have to work hard to keep Merlin pure while this knight was around. But it was a nice challenge. 

“Sir Gwaine, let us not confuse the child more than he already has been. This is Guinevere, not Esmeralda,” Morgana said, properly introducing Gwen to the small child. Gwen stepped forward and knelt down so she was on Merlin’s level. Morgana smirked as Gwaine stuck out his tongue. Merlin didn’t seem to notice the interaction.

“Well, most people call me Gwen. My friends, that is. You can call me whatever you want, though. I mean, not that you would call me anything other than my name,” Gwen began to ramble. Merlin giggled and stuck out his hand. Gwen stared at the appendage for a second before smiling and shaking it lightly.

“You’re funny,” Merlin said. He had unglued himself from Gwaine’s side and was now looking at the two women. Morgana went to sit by on a stool and Gwen on the bench.

“You’re Merlin, right?” Morgana asked sweetly. Merlin nodded enthusiastically.

“Yup. I’m eight,” he said, thrusting out seven fingers. Merlin looked at his hands for a second. “Wait,” he muttered to himself. He counted his fingers before thrusting them out again, this time with the proper number. Gwen clasped her hands in front of her mouth and held back another squeal of delight. Morgana laughed lightly at the boy’s antics.

“What can I help you ladies with?” Gwaine asked, giving them a charming smile. Gwen blushed and looked away. Morgana rolled her eyes and went to swat at Gwaine. Gwaine grabbed her hand mid-swat and shook his head. Morgana was about to ask why when Gwaine motioned towards Merlin. Morgana put her hand down. She had known that Merlin was a slave. Judging by the looks of disgust Lancelot was giving while talking about the child, he hadn’t been treated very well. Perhaps violence, no matter how trivial, scared the child. 

“We wanted to visit Merlin,” Morgana answered. She tried not to let her thoughts become apparent on her face. “I hear he’s going to be working for my lovely brother,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“Prince Arthur is lovely!” Merlin piped up. “He’s nice and caring and wonderful!” he exclaimed. Morgana raised her eyebrows but said nothing. 

“What about you, Merlin? What do you like to do?” Gwen asked. Merlin turned to her with the biggest smile Morgana had ever seen. This kid warmed up to people really fast.

“I like reading and drawing and practicing my special talent,” he said, whispering the last part. “Gaius says you have a special talent too,” he said, turning back towards Morgana. Morgana stared at Merlin for a second before smiling. 

“Yes, I do.” She laughed. “But you have to keep it a secret, alright,” she said. Merlin nodded and pretended to button his lips. Morgana stood up and began looking at the various items on the shelf while Gwaine and Gwen continued to talk to Merlin. She bit her lip. Now that Morgana had met Merlin, the excitement was gone. Now it was replaced with the intense worry that had been with her since this morning. She didn’t usually make a habit of telling people what she saw in her dreams, but this one was really troubling. She didn’t want to worry Gwen, though Gwen probably already knew something was up. Morgana could probably just go to Leon or Percival and talk about her vision, but there was something pulling her towards Gwaine. 

“Gwaine, can I talk to you for a second?” Morgana asked. Gwaine looked at Merlin nervously before untangling himself from the boy and standing up. Merlin reached up to grab Gwaine’s jacket. Gwaine smiled at the boy and knelt down so he could talk to Merlin. 

“I’ll be right back, Merlin. I’m just going in the other room. Stay here and try out those things I taught you on Esmeralda,” Gwaine said with a wink. He patted Merlin on his head before following Morgana into the storeroom. 

“Are you already corrupting him, Sir Knight?” Morgana sniped, trying to lighten the mood and hide her own anxiety. 

“Hey, the kid’s a heartbreaker. What kind of man would I be if I didn’t help him reach his full potential,” Gwaine chuckled. Morgana sighed dramatically and flipped her hair. “But, you didn’t come here to talk about whether or not I’m a bad influence,” Gwaine said, his tone turning sober. Morgana peaked out the door to see Merlin and Gwen giggling over something. Merlin looked nervously at the door before Gwen pulled his attention back on her. 

“No, I wanted to ask if you’ve gotten any information about his past life,” she said. Gwaine shook his head.

“No, back at the cave he mentioned a maid who taught him how to read and a girl who talked with him. But Gaius doesn’t think we should pester him just yet. He’ll talk when he’s ready,” Gwaine replied. 

“Please,” Morgana scoffed, “I’ve only known the kid for two minutes and I can already tell you he’s not that type. He’ll redirect conversations and do whatever it takes to never open up,” she said. 

Gwaine nodded. “I know. I’m going to try and talk with him later. Hopefully he can at least tell us where he escaped from.” Morgana couldn’t do this. She couldn’t burden others like she was. It wasn’t fair. She could figure this out on her own. She went to leave when Gwaine grabbed her wrist.

“You had a vision,” he said simply. Morgana turned back towards the knight, glowering at him.

“One: How do you know? And two: So what if I did?” she snapped quietly.

“Because, you’re nervous and jumpy. It must have been something pretty bad,” Gwaine explained.

“Not bad, well it was bad, but you shouldn’t worry,” Morgana said. 

“Have you told Gwen?” 

“No, not yet. I don’t even know what happened in it,” Morgana replied. Gwaine chuckled.

“Isn’t that the norm?” he asked. 

“This was different.” Morgana hesitated before sighing. “I suppose I can tell you. You won’t know what to do with it either,” she continued. Really, the situation was more grave than she was letting on. 

“Go right ahead, my lady,” Gwaine said with a mocking bow. Morgana swatted him on the head before walking over to the window and looking out.

“I saw you, running with a wolf back to Camelot, and Lancelot being led to the pyre. There were some other brief flashes, but I couldn’t make a lot out” she said. Gwaine gasped and sat down on an old box.

“Well that last one means Lancelot’s been accused of sorcery,” he said. Morgana nodded. 

“There’s more,” Morgana said. 

“Oh, goody. Just what I wanted to hear,” Gwaine said. “I thought you only saw brief flashes?” he asked.

“I didn’t see anything else, but I felt it,” she explained.

“How does that work?” Gwaine asked.

“I don’t know. But I felt fear and fire. I felt Camelot fall and blood being spilt,” Morgana said. Gwaine stared at her for a few minutes before clearing his throat and standing up.

“I don’t want to undermine your visions, but this stuff is only a “possible future”. We just need to keep doing the best we can to protect the citadel and not worry about what the future “might” hold,” Gwaine said. Morgana gave him a smile and turned back towards the door. The knight was more shaken than he was letting on. But really, Morgana was more shaken than she was letting on as well. 

“I hope you’re right. I don’t want to live in a world where these come true,” she said.

“Well, me running with the wolves would be pretty awesome. Perhaps we could work towards that one,” Gwaine said with a smile. Morgana laughed and walked out the door to see Merlin talking animatedly to Gwen.

“And then, Rowena brought me back to the river and told me the spirits would help heal my hand. She said that I was special because I could talk to the forest. Morgana could too. But she has to open her mind and let go of her fears,” Merlin said. Gwen laughed.

“Rowena sounds like a wonderful person,” she said. Merlin frowned.

“She’s not a person, she’s a she-wolf,” he stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Gwaine and Morgana stopped and stared at each other.   
“It might just be a coincidence,” Gwaine muttered to Morgana. Morgana shook her head.

“If this has anything to do with magic, there are no coincidences,” she snapped. Gwaine sagged and went to sit down next to Merlin.  
“Gwaine!” the little boy exclaimed. “I was just telling Gwen about some of the stuff I’ve done,” he said.

“I want to hear more about this Rowena. How’d you two meet and how can you talk to her?” Gwaine asked with a bright smile. Merlin settled himself against Gwaine’s side, wrapping his tiny arm’s around Gwaine, and began to explain.

“Well, when I first got out in the woods, I didn’t know how to hunt or trap or anything. So I was really hungry. But then, this giant white wolf-“ Morgana sucked in a breath, causing Gwen and Gwaine to glance at her worriedly. Merlin seemed undeterred. “-was at the entrance to the cave. At first I was scared. But then, I decided to listen, like I do with the tree spirits, and I heard her talk. She helps me out whenever I need it. She calls me her pup and says I am very special,” Merlin finished. 

“Any other magical talking animal friends we should know about?” Gwaine asked, only half joking. He should probably tell Leon that Merlin could talk to animals. This might be a problem in the future. 

“Well, I can speak with almost everything in the forest, but other than Rowena and Jeff, there’s really no one else. Some rabbits come visit occasionally, but only once or twice a month. Their names are Helga and Olaf. They’ve been together for three years. Which is really long in rabbit time,” Merlin explained. Morgana felt as though her entire world was about to come crashing down. Her visions almost always came true in some sense. The fact that this one was so vague yet so specific was probably what was the most terrifying thing in the world. And now, now Merlin was here. There was too much to worry about at once. 

“Gwen, we have to get going. We have that council meeting,” Morgana said. Gwen stood up and smoothed her skirts.

“Do I have to come?” Gwaine asked. He didn’t want to leave Merlin, but he couldn’t risk Uther becoming suspicious. He was also slightly afraid for Morgana. Things weren’t looking good for her at the moment. 

“No, Arthur managed to get you out of this one so that you could stay with Merlin,” Morgana replied. Gwaine nodded.

“Can you tell me another story?” Merlin asked. Gwaine chuckled and leaned back.

“Have I told you about the time I became general of Queen Annis’ army? Completely by accident, of course,” Gwaine said. Merlin shook his head and Gwaine began his story. Gwen and Morgana said their goodbyes before slipping out the door and walking down the corridor.

“Is something the matter?” Gwen asked. 

“I had a vision, Gwen. I think it’s coming true,” Morgana said. 

“And Gwaine knows?”

“I told him to see what he thought of it. I’m worried,” Morgana confessed. Gwen pulled her in for a hug and sighed.

“We will do everything in our power to keep Camelot safe,” she murmured. Morgana smiled and began to tell Gwen about what she saw and felt the previous night. Gwen walked quietly alongside her, not daring to interrupt. By the time they got to the council chambers, both girls were worried about what the future may hold.


	9. Chapter 9

It had been nearly a week since Merlin had first came to Camelot. However, that week was spent in a bed, healing. Merlin thought the knights were very nice, as well as Gwen and Morgana, but he still wanted to get out and explore. He had a feeling that he was driving Gaius crazy. Merlin was almost always asking questions about things. Several questions about what certain books were about. Questions about who was who. Why Gaius mixed herbs in a certain order. Endless questions that were probably grating on the old physician’s nerves. But what else was Merlin supposed to do? He could only practice his magic at certain times a day, he couldn’t get up and walk by himself, and there was really nothing to do in the physician’s chambers. 

Merlin occasionally helped make the potions, but he suspected that was just busy work and not really needed. Merlin groaned and flopped back in the bed. All the knights were training and Morgana was entertaining a visiting lady so there was no one there to play with him. Merlin wiggled his toes and decided he had had enough of sitting around on the bed and doing nothing. Bravely, he threw back the covers and placed his feet on the ground. Well, he would have put his feet on the ground had his legs been long enough to touch the ground. Instead, they just dangled there helplessly. Merlin frowned and slid further to the edge of the bed so that his toes were skimming the wooden floor. Merlin stuck out his tongue in concentration and slipped off the bed. He stumbled, his legs weak after not using them for so long. He managed to maneuver his way towards a bench that Gaius often made potions at before collapsing on it. He smiled. Turns out, he could get up and walk around if he wanted. He didn’t know why Gaius insisted on taking the long way. Gaius had magic. Merlin could feel a tiny bit bubbling beneath the surface, though not as much as Morgana. 

Merlin swung his legs, his toes gently scraping the floor. What should he do now? He was up and about, without any help mind you. He might as well take a closer look around the physician’s chambers. He would have gone out into the courtyard, but that wasn’t very responsible of him. Merlin didn’t know his way around Camelot and could easily get lost. And, if he got tired in here, there were many spots he could sit and regain his strength. Merlin slid off the bench and took a closer look at some of the items hanging around the shelves. Most were herbs and plants Merlin recognized from the forest. He wondered who gathered them for Gaius since the man was really, really, really old. Merlin picked up a small vile of what appeared to be yarrow and studied it. He was so caught up with his studies that he didn’t hear the door opening.

“What are you doing?” Prince Arthur’s voice called out from behind him. Merlin jumped and spun around. But his leg decided that was the moment to give out and sent Merlin crashing to the ground. Arthur had quicker reflexes and was able to catch Merlin before his head hit the ground. Merlin gave Arthur a shaky smile and waved at him.

“How was training? Was it fun? Were the knights good? Do you think I could train with you guys?” Merlin began to ramble. Arthur rolled his eyes and scooped the young boy off the floor and deposited him back on the bed.

“What were you doing up?” Arthur asked, cutting off one of Merlin’s questions.

“I was bored!” Merlin cried dramatically and waved his arms about. Arthur sighed and put the vile of yarrow back on the shelf Merlin had taken it from.

“And you decided the best thing to do was to wander around the physician’s chambers where there are vials of poison and God knows what else?” Arthur said. Merlin couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty. But he was careful! Arthur just surprised him.

“I wasn’t going to eat anything. And, I decided that it would be better that I stay in the physician’s chambers so I wouldn’t get lost and so that I could strengthen my leg,” Merlin replied. Arthur had to admit, the kid did think that through. Gwaine came through the door shortly.

“Hey, kiddo. How are you?” Gwaine asked, walking forward to ruffle Merlin’s hair. Arthur smiled at the interaction. In such a short amount of time, the boy had already tamed the knights. Even though he was supposed to be the most powerful sorcerer to ever walk the Earth, the men had all agreed to protect Merlin with all their strength. It was nice to see someone who could unite the men so thoroughly.

“Well, Gwaine, Merlin here is feeling much better.” Merlin nodded his head enthusiastically. “So,” Arthur continued, “I thought this would be the perfect time to make him look like he hasn’t spent the last year in the forest,” Arthur said. Gwaine’s smile fell a tiny bit.

“But I did spend the last year in the forest,” Merlin defended.

“Yes, but now you live in Camelot. You need to look civilized if you’re going to stay here,” Arthur said with a smirk. Merlin pouted and crossed his arms. Arthur laughed and turned to Gwaine. “It’s your job to give him a bath, new clothes, and a haircut. Have fun,” Arthur said. Walking through the door and leaving Gwaine and Merlin behind him. Merlin may have tamed Gwaine, but Arthur could still use the kid to torture his less than obedient knights. It was Morgana-style vengeance, but Arthur was pleased with the outcome nonetheless. 

Gwaine looked down at Merlin to see the boy staring up at him expectantly.

“I guess its time to tame you,” Gwaine joked. Merlin furrowed his brow and tried to see the humor in the situation. He didn’t get it. Gwaine sighed and picked the boy up, settling him on his hip. Merlin had definitely lost the starved look he had when the men first discovered him. But the boy was still much too small and skinny. Gwaine’s sword weighed more than the child. Gwaine stopped a passing servant.

“Can you draw a bath in my chambers?” Gwaine asked. The servant nodded and ran towards Gwaine’s room. Merlin and Gwaine continued down the chambers at a slower pace. When they got to the chambers, the bath was poured and the servant was gone. Gwaine set down Merlin on a chair and began to pull off the child’s clothes. Merlin had somehow managed to get ahold of the dirty jacket he had been wearing out in the forest.

“Are you okay to do this by yourself?” Gwaine asked. He didn’t really know what was appropriate in these kinds of situation. Merlin stopped looking around the room and looked back towards Gwaine.

“Do what?” 

“Take a bath,” Gwaine said, motioning towards the tub. Merlin stared at it for a few seconds with a very confused look on his face.

“What do I do?” Merlin asked. Gwaine looked flabbergasted.

“Surely you’ve bathed before?” 

“I sometimes go swimming in a lake that’s by my cave,” Merlin responded. Gwaine groaned and sat back.

“So you don’t know how to you soap or anything?”

“Is soap the one you clean your hair with?” Merlin asked. Gwaine’s eyes widened. How was he supposed to help tame Merlin when the boy didn’t even know what soap was for?

“Hold on one moment,” he said and darted out of the room. Luckily, Leon was walking just at the other end of the hall.

“Leon!” Gwaine cried in relief. Leon turned towards the knight and raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Merlin needs help,” Gwaine said. This got Leon’s attention as the knight sprinted down the corridor. Panic was evident in his features.

“What is it? What happened?” Leon gasped.

“He doesn’t know how to take a bath,” Gwaine said. Leon stopped, glared at Gwaine, and then wacked him upside the head.

“I thought he was dying!” Leon hissed.

“You’ve got to help me,” Gwaine continued, undeterred by Leon’s reaction to the news.

“I don’t know what to do. Everyone I’ve bathed has been in a very sexual context.” Leon groaned and started walking towards the door.

“Why is it so important that this be done now?” Leon asked.

“Arthur wants to start having Merlin leave Gaius’ chambers so he can get stronger faster,” Gwaine explained. Leon rolled his eyes. He walked into the chamber to see Merlin sitting in a chair patiently, his clothing pooled on the floor around the chair. Merlin looked up and smiled brightly at Leon.

“Leon! I’m happy to see you,” he said. Leon gave Merlin a small smile and went about doing something for the bath. He stuck his hand in the water and furrowed his brow.

“I think this is too hot at the moment,” he said, turning to Gwaine.

“Well I didn’t pour it,” Gwaine said. Merlin had hopped off the chair and was now trying to get up on a chair so he could look out the window.

“What exactly did Arthur want?”

“His hair cut, a bath, and new clothes,” Gwaine replied. Leon sighed and went about trying to find some soap.

“Wow!” Merlin gasped, finally able to look out the window. “We’re so high up!” he exclaimed.

“Yes, Merlin. Don’t lean against the glass,” Leon said before turning to Gwaine. “Find Guinevere and see if she has anything for the boy, at the very least she can clean these,” Leon said, thrusting the dirty clothes towards Gwaine. Gwaine wrinkled his nose but took the clothes. He turned and walked out the door, trying to see if he could find the lady in question. Leon waited for the door to close before deciding it was time to try and bathe Merlin.

“Merlin, time to get in the bath,” Leon called. Merlin hopped off the chair and skipped over to the bath. Leon saw that it was going to be much too high for Merlin to step into, so he lifted the boy up and placed him in the water. Merlin gasped.

“It’s so warm,” he giggled. “It feels really nice.” Leon smiled and set about starting to rinse the boy down. Merlin continued to giggle and squirm as Leon scrubbed down his arms and back. During the bath, Leon tried to teach Merlin how to take his own bath, so that he didn’t need a knight to be there constantly. 

oOoOoOo

Gwaine knocked on Morgana’s door, stuffing the dirty clothes behind his back so that the visiting noblewoman wouldn’t have to see them.

“Come in,” Morgana called. Gwaine pushed open the door and stepped inside. He did a sweeping bow before straightening up and glancing around the room, his eyes landing on Gwen. He put on his charming smile and turned towards Morgana.

“Your handmaid is needed for a short while. I have arranged for George to be attending to you until Guinevere returns. 

“Very well. Gwen, you may leave,” Morgana said. She turned back towards the woman and continued chatting about something that was probably very womanly. Gwen and Gwaine left the room quietly and started walking down the hall together.

“What’s wrong?” Gwen asked anxiously. Gwaine showed her the dirty clothes.

“Do you have anything made for Merlin? These are absolutely filthy and need to be washed.” Gwen’s smile brightened considerably. 

“Yes. Morgana and I made some clothing for Merlin. They will look absolutely adorable on him. Mind you, we didn’t have very good measurements but I can alter them later. Oh I wonder if he’ll like them. I suppose there’s no reason he wouldn’t. I think red and blue will suit him wonderfully. It’ll really bring out his eyes…”

“Gwen, perhaps we should go pick up the clothes and clean these ones, so that Merlin has something to wear,” Gwaine suggested. Gwen blushed and nodded, walking quickly towards her house. The pair dropped off Merlin’s other clothing, Gwen would wash it later, and then started back towards Gwaine’s chambers. 

“What are these little squares for?” Gwaine asked, gesturing towards a blue and red square. 

“They’re neckerchiefs. I thought Merlin might like them,” Gwen said happily. Gwaine nodded and continued on to the chambers. They entered to hear Leon groaning in frustrations and Merlin sitting happily on a chair with a towel around his waist, looking pinker than when they first found him. 

“And then the evil ogre turned out to be a good ogre and helped create a new country for trolls to live in. Because the trolls were just being misunderstood…” Merlin rambled on.

“That’s great Merlin,” Leon commented dryly, pulling a stick from Merlin’s tangled rat’s nest. 

“What are you doing?” Gwen asked.

“Gwen!” Merlin cried happily and moved to jump off the chair.

“Merlin, wait!” Leon cried and Merlin’s head was wrenched from his grasp. Merlin bounded up to Gwen and hugged her.

“Leon’s trying to cut my hair,” he explained.

“Would you like me to help? Elyan used to get all sorts of things caught in his hair.”

“I can’t imagine Elyan with hair,” Gwaine sniggered. Gwen blushed and led Merlin back to the chair. Leon stepped aside and let Gwen take over. Gwen and Merlin began chatting casually as Gwen took the sheers and began cutting Merlin’s hair. Gwaine and Leon watched in awe as she snapped her way through twigs, leaves, and other object that had become tangled in Merlin’s hair. Slowly, the raven hair was shortened.

“There we go,” Gwen said, stepping back to admire her work. Merlin ran a hand through his hair and smiled. 

“It feels so nice. Thank you Gwen,” he said, turning to hug the serving girl. 

“You’re welcome, Merlin. Now go put on your new clothes. I’m going to wash and mend your old ones if you want. Or we can throw them away…”

“No! Not the jacket,” Merlin said hastily. Everyone stared at Merlin for a second.

“Why not?” Gwaine asked. Merlin started picking at the threads on the towel before answering.

“Freya needs it,” he said softly. The trio looked at each other questioningly.

“I can wash and mend the jacket. I won’t get rid of it,” Gwen said softly. Merlin gave her a teary smile before going to pull on his new clothes.

“Why would a girl need it?” Gwaine asked.

“I don’t know. I don’t think I want to find out either,” Leon responded grimly. 

oOoOoOo

It was night when the alarm bells sounded. A clanging metal ringing through the air. Arthur and the other knights were up and running through the castle in full force, trying to find the prisoner that had escaped.

“Drake is gone,” Leon reported and Arthur and Uther made their way to the throne room.

“How did he get out?” Uther demanded. 

“It looks as though the guards hung themselves,” Leon said.

“They committed suicide? Why?” Arthur asked.

“I don’t know, sire. It appears that not all of Drake’s power was cut off.”

“You think that the sorcerer drove them to suicide?” Uther asked. Leon nodded.

“What worries me most is why he hasn’t come after you,” Leon said, turning to Arthur. “You were the original target, but Drake has yet to complete his mission,” Leon said.

“I think he found something more worthwhile to pursue,” Arthur replied. Leon nodded grimly. If Merlin was really as powerful and special as Kilgharrah had said, then he was worth much more than Arthur, especially if he were sold to the right people.


	10. Chapter 10

Merlin stood in the arch of the door that led to Prince Arthur’s chambers. His private chambers. The chambers that Merlin would be living in and working in for the foreseeable future. Merlin wiggled his toes in his boots. They were barely touching the interior of the room. Just a small portion sticking onto the stones that became Arthur’s room. Merlin took a deep breath and attempted to calm his beating heart. Was it always this hot in Camelot? He felt that it should be colder for this time of the year. Maybe the heat was caused by his nerves. He read that somewhere. 

Merlin shook his head to try and clear the thoughts. This wasn’t what he should be thinking about now. He had a job to do. Though, he wasn’t entirely sure what that job entailed. Manservant was a weird word. Did this mean Merlin was a man now? He didn’t think so. And what was Arthur expecting him to do? In all his life, Merlin had never served anyone. Well, his previous master probably didn’t count. Whenever Merlin served him, it would be to hurt others. 

Once again Merlin shook his head to get rid of the thoughts that were floating around. He didn’t want to remember something that was so sad and scary. He didn’t like living with that man. He was in Camelot now. And Camelot was a happy place. He was friends with a prince and a princess and knights and even the court physician! They were nice people. They didn’t ask Merlin to hurt his friends or learn how to do scary things like curses. Merlin’s life would be better here. He just knew it. And he couldn’t wait to start helping Arthur out.

There was a special sort of hum with his magic whenever Arthur was near it. It was pleasant and tingly in Merlin’s fingers. Something told him that Arthur was a good person. Something told Merlin that he and Arthur were going to do great things together. Merlin got butterflies in his stomach just thinking about all the cool stuff the pair could do. But, to do cool stuff, he first had to get through the door. That was easier said than done as his feet didn’t seem to want to move. Merlin glared down at his feet. He was considering ordering them to move, but he didn’t want Arthur to think he was crazy. 

Oh no. What if something went wrong? What if something bad happened? Merlin felt his stomach twist back into knots just thinking about bad things. His master, previous master, had said that if Merlin ever disobeyed him, bad things would happen. What if Arthur was nice on the surface but mean once Merlin really got to know him. Some of his old friends told him stuff like that happened all the time. Maybe Arthur would beat him for the smallest thing. Maybe he would send Merlin to the whipping post for dropping his breakfast. And Merlin was clumsy. He would probably slice his hand off on Arthur’s sword. He would trip over the rug and break his neck. He could… 

“Merlin,” Arthur called out . “While I am well aware these are rather impressive chambers, you actually have a job to do. Don’t just stand there and gawk like an idiot.”

“I’m not an idiot! You’re just a dollophead!” Merlin squawked. His previous fears were forgotten. If Arthur really was mean, Merlin could easily run away. Arthur crossed his arm.

“What on earth is a dollophead?” he asked. Merlin opened and closed his mouth several times before glaring at Arthur. Arthur fought back a laugh. Poor little Merlin looked more like a stray puppy. He thought he was more threatening than he really was. It was kind of cute.

“You are!” Merlin finally spat out. Merlin then clenched his fists at his side, screwed his face, and sucked in a deep breath. He was going to prove to Arthur that he could do this job. With one last glare directed at Arthur, Merlin stepped through the threshold. Upon realizing that he wasn’t about to be punished, or insulted, Merlin took a chance to look around. Leon and Gwaine were also in the chambers. Gwaine was sitting on a chair with his feet propped up on the table. He was happily munching on an apple. Leon was standing beside him, looking through some papers.

“Relax, Merlin,” Gwaine said after swallowing a bite of apple. “If princess here bites, let me know. I’ll bite back,” Gwaine said with a wink. Merlin giggled and Leon smacked Gwaine on the head. “Ow,” Gwaine said, massaging the spot Leon had just hit. 

“Don’t encourage him,” Leon said, not even looking up from the documents. Gwaine muttered something that Merlin couldn’t hear and continued to eat his apple. Merlin peaked at the table that was in the room. One it, there were two dishes. One was full of meat, cheese, and fruit. The other was a bowl of steaming something. Gwaine had called it something else a few days ago, but Percival threw him out the door before Merlin got to hear what the word was. The scraping of a chair brought Merlin back to the room. Gwaine stood up and dusted himself off before walking over to Merlin.

“Here we go,” Gwaine said, lifting Merlin off the floor and setting him on the chair. 

“He can use his legs, you know?” Arthur griped before popping a grape in his mouth. Merlin looked down and doubted he could actually get on the chair. His feet were dangling helplessly off the edge of it and he could barely see over the table. Why was everything in Camelot so big?

Actually, Camelot was a lot different from where Merlin used to live. It was much cleaner than his cave or his other home, if you could call it that. His little room was actually a dungeon shared by five other people. They rarely bathed and the cell was never cleaned. In the winter, the wind and snow would sweep through the holes in the walls, making freezing to death a very real possibility. Merlin remembered going to be with five people once, but only three woke up the next morning. He felt sick as he remembered their lifeless corpses, too stiff to even move properly. And when it rained, the water would seep in through the cracks, making everything moldy and smelly. It was always dark to. You never saw the sun rise or set. You never knew what time it was. Merlin felt a hand run through his hair, bringing him back to the present. He was no longer in that place. People weren’t going to freeze to death here. And the castle didn’t smell like mold, sweat, and blood. Merlin looked up and realized that Gwaine was the one who was absentmindedly running his hand through Merlin’s hair. Merlin smiled and relaxed. He was safe here. 

“Merlin, eat your breakfast and then I’ll send you off to George to get properly trained,” Leon said. He was staring at Merlin. Leon knew that Merlin was probably remembering his old home. He could see the look of fear and sadness on the boy’s face. Hopefully Merlin would open up to the knights one day. The boy deserved to move on from his past. He deserved to be happy. 

Merlin looked down at the bowl in front of him and pulled a face. Leon cracked a smile and Gwaine openly laughed. It was another bowl of porridge. 

“Don’t make that face, Merlin,” Arthur said, looking over his schedule for the day. “Gaius says you need to eat it for a couple more days before we can move you to real food.”

“But…it’s so mushy. And bland. Arthur! It doesn’t taste like anything! Not even water!” Merlin cried. He waved his arms dramatically. His eyes widened and he looked towards Arthur with such a sad look, Arthur almost relented. Almost. He did enjoy torturing Merlin a bit. 

“Eat your breakfast and maybe you can eat something better for dinner,” Gwaine said. Leon sighed.

“Bribery is not a good way to raise kids,” he said. Merlin paid no attention and began digging into his porridge, still grimacing every time he took a bite. Gwaine looked at Leon, his hands still playing with Merlin’s hair.

“Have you ever had to eat porridge for a week straight?” Leon smiled and shook his head. 

“No, I have not,” he answered.

“Have you, Gwaine?” Merlin asked, his mouth full of mushy food.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Leon scolded. Gwaine laughed and wiped some of the porridge off of Merlin’s cheek. 

“Yes I have, Merls. But the reason will have to wait until you’re older. It involves a horse,” Gwaine said.

“That’s enough. Don’t say another word!” Leon gasped. Gwaine and Arthur laughed. Merlin grinned and spooned another bite of the mushy glop into his mouth. He was glad his friends all seemed happy here. He could be happy here to. Merlin finished eating the porridge and proudly showed his empty bowl to the two men in the room. 

“Alright, Merlin. You are going to be training with George until noon. Then you’re to go to Gaius for three hours. After that, resume training with George. Come back to the prince’s chambers at dinner time and if anyone gives you any trouble, come straight to me or one of the knights,” Leon explained.

“And remember, no magic. Only use it when Gaius tells you to,” Arthur warned. Merlin nodded happily and went skipping out the door to find George. Arthur sighed and sank back into his chair.

“How much do you want to bet that running the kingdom won’t be as difficult as keeping that kid out of trouble?” Gwaine laughed. Arthur was about to answer when a crash was hear out in the hall. 

“I’m okay!” Merlin shouted. Leon sighed.

“I’ll go make sure he doesn’t break anything of value. Or his neck,” he said before leaving the room. Arthur looked back at Gwaine.

“Don’t you have training to do?” he asked. Gwaine laughed and left the room as well, not really answering his question. One thing was for sure, Merlin was going to be a new kind of trouble.

oOoOoOo

Merlin was exhausted. That was a new word he learned from Linda, a maid. The reason for Merlin’s exhaustion lay in his job. Everyday he had to wake up before the sun to get breakfast for both him and Arthur. From there, he would sit there and work and work and work until it was time to go help Gaius. He polished, groomed, laundered, and did all sorts of stuff. Merlin had tried to convince George that Arthur didn’t need his shirts to be washed every day. George just sat there sputtering for about ten minutes. Merlin got bored waiting for the man to regain his grip on the world and went off in search of pretty flowers he could give to Gwen and Morgana. Percival found him three hours later in a panic. Merlin really didn’t mean to stay out that late. But there were so many pretty plants Morgana and Gwen could use to decorate with.

Merlin didn’t get the chance to wander off again. George was almost constantly hovering around Merlin, criticizing almost everything he did. And when George wasn’t hovering, it was Gaius or one of the knights. It was getting exhausting. The only fun thing Merlin got to do was groom the horses, and that was only because he could talk to them. Apparently, he was the only person Arthur’s horse, Myddrin, would allow to brush him. Well, the horse told Merlin his actual name was Lucinda, but Merlin didn’t think anyone would believe him. 

And then there were the baths. Merlin had to bathe almost everyday. Why would anyone need to bathe that much? What was the point? Leon had tried to tell Merlin that it was important because of something called hygiene. Merlin thought he was just making stuff up. At least the water was warm. And Morgana had given Merlin a special kind of potion that made bubbles in the water. Except, he accidently poured too much in and Arthur’s chambers were filled to the top with bubbles. Merlin thought it was fun. Leon was panicked that King Uther would be mad at Merlin. And Arthur just sat there hitting his head against the wall while Gwen and Elyan worked for nearly an hour to get the bubbles to go down. Merlin wasn’t allowed to have bubbles with his bath again.

Merlin also got to learn more reading and writing with Leon. It was important since he would once day be Court Sorcerer. Well, no one had told him that he was going to be court sorcerer, but he knew it was going to happen. So he needed to study so that he could one day be Court Sorcerer? Though, he wasn’t really sure what Court Sorcerers do.

Merlin stopped at the top of the stairs and sat down. He really was exhausted. It had been two weeks since he had started his job. Arthur said that he might get to stop training under George next week, which would be nice. He wondered how Freya was doing back at the castle. He really should have taken her with him. But the only people who could help her were at the castle. Who know? Maybe Merlin would come back and Freya would be cured. 

He heard a familiar howling in the distance, making him perk up. Rowena was back from her trip! And she wanted to visit with Merlin! Merlin stood up and did a little dance. He would ask Arthur later tonight if he could go visit Rowena. He wanted to ask, since everyone seemed so worried about him when they didn’t know where he was at. It was kind of weird, but nice at the same time. Merlin bent down and picked up the tray that held Arthur’s dinner. Arthur would surely say yes. Merlin was sure of it.  
He stepped into the chambers with a bright smile on his face. Arthur looked up from his papers.

“What’s go you so happy?” he muttered. Merlin sat the tray on the table and crawled up on the chair across from Arthur. “Sorry kid, I’m not eating your vegetables. Leon and Gaius would kill me and I don’t care for them either,” Arthur said. Merlin rolled his eyes.

“It’s not that!” he said. 

“Then what is it? Did Morgana give you more bubbles?” Arthur said, looking slightly worried.

“I’m visiting Rowena tonight,” Merlin said. He was positively beaming. Arthur tilted his head to the side and stared at Merlin for a few minutes before speaking. 

“Rowena is the wolf?”

“She wolf.”

“And you want to go into the forest to talk with her?” 

“Yes.”

“You’re going to go whether or not I give you permission.”

“Yes.” Arthur sighed and sank back in his chair.

“Alright, when and where are we going to meet this wolf?” he asked.

“She wolf,” Merlin replied. Arthur stared at Merlin. “Around ten tonight in a clearing right outside the castle,” Merlin said. He smiled innocently at Arthur. Arthur fought back a groan. He needed help if he was going to keep Merlin out of trouble in the dark.

oOoOoOo

“Merlin, kiddo, can’t your wolf-friend visit us during daylight hours?” Gwaine asked, yawning as the group of knights shuffled their way through the forest to visit the she-wolf. 

“No, silly,” Merlin giggled. The group had gotten two feet out of the castle before Merlin had tripped, causing Percival to pick him up and place him on his shoulders. It was kind of nice being so high. Merlin hoped that he would grow to be as tall as Percival one day. “People would wonder why I’m talking to a wolf if that was the case.” 

Gwaine nodded absentmindedly and continued to trek through the forest. He hadn’t gotten very good sleep these past few nights. Morgana’s visions continued to haunt him. Gwaine wasn’t even having them, he was just being told their content. He couldn’t even imagine what it was like for Morgana to have to live through them every night.

“I, for one, think this is a good idea,” Lancelot said. “Merlin can catch up with an old friend and we can meet someone who has helped him survive for so long.” Gwaine cast a worried glance at Lancelot, which went unnoticed by the majority of the group. Morgana had only confided in Gwen and himself what her terrifying vision was about. And it hadn’t gone away either. In fact, it had gotten more descriptive. Now, there was a blond chick reeking havoc in Morgana’s dreams. That was just what Gwaine needed. More descriptive visions from a seer who was rarely wrong. Now he couldn’t go to his favorite tavern without suspecting Henrietta was some conniving bitch who wanted to take Camelot down.

“Gwaine!” Leon’s voice cut through the memory. Gwaine jolted and turned towards Leon. He flashed a charming smile. “You seem distracted. Is everything alright?” Leon asked in a hushed tone. He had noticed Gwaine was spending a lot more time with Morgana and Gwen than usual. It was starting to worry him. Both Gwaine and Morgana were starting to get dark circles under their eyes. Something was going on between them. There was an underlying fear that seemed to linger around the trio. What was worse is that Morgana wouldn’t confide in Leon or Arthur. If something was going to happen, they needed to know in order to help prevent it. But Morgana was constantly afraid of self-fulfilling prophecies. She didn’t want the future to be misused and tended to suffer alone because of these beliefs.

“Nothing’s wrong, mate,” Gwaine said. He had promised Morgana not to tell anyone about her visions unless absolutely necessary. Gwaine figured that the moment she had them was the proper time to tell everyone, but the lady insisted that Gwaine not breathe a word to the other knights. Leon nodded, clearly not believing Gwaine. The group reached a small clearing and stopped.

“Rowena!” Merlin shouted. He jumped off of Percival’s shoulders and shot across the clearing like an arrow. A large, white wolf was sitting patiently on the other side. Gwaine assumed this was Rowena as the wolf allowed Merlin to wrap his arms around her neck. “Sorry I didn’t come earlier, but I had so much work,” Merlin said, his arms hooked around the wolf’s neck. Rowena turned and began nuzzling Merlin’s head before licking his hair. The wolf continued to groom Merlin, making the boy giggle. 

“Stop, Rowena, that tickles.” The knights stood awkwardly at the edge of the clearing, not quite sure what they should do in this situation. Rowena wasn’t hurting Merlin, so there wasn’t really a problem. But the knights did feel awkward just sitting there and watching Merlin get licked by a she wolf.

“Oh! These are my friends,” Merlin said suddenly, gesturing towards the small group. “That’s Gwaine, Leon, Percival, Arthur, Elyan, and Lancelot. Morgana, Gwen, and Gaius aren’t here right now. But maybe I’ll introduce you to them later!” Merlin said happily. He started chatting with Rowena about what he had been up to, how he had met the knights, how much magic he had learned, etc. 

Rowena stopped nuzzling Merlin and stood up, shaking out her coat before trotting up to the knights. Merlin spun around to face the wolf and continued to talk about his bubble bath. Rowena sat proudly in front of the knights and inspected each with her steel grey eyes. The gaze was intense and made Gwaine shiver. She was inspecting each of them, making sure that they weren’t a danger to her pup. Gwaine didn’t even think that this was possible for animals to do. Yet, here Rowena was, inspecting them and making sure they could take care of something as precious as Merlin. 

About thirty minutes later, Merlin yawned and walked back over to Percival. 

“Sorry I couldn’t stay longer, Rowena,” he said. Percival scooped him up and cradled him in his arms. “Maybe we can visit more often now that you’re back from your trip. I’m glad Khan’s pack made that treaty with yours,” Merlin said. Gwaine exchanged glances with the others. Apparently, wolves had a much more complex system than anyone had suspected. Rowena walked up to the knights and stared at them once again. Lancelot stepped forward and knelt in front of Rowena.

“Don’t worry, we’ll take care of him,” he promised. Rowena turned and stared at Gwaine, making him feel even more guilty. How could Lancelot protect Merlin when he wasn’t going to be able to protect himself? Gwaine foolishly hoped that Morgana’s visions were not going to come true.

oOoOoOo

“Sire,” Leon knocked on the door to where the other knights, Morgana, Gwen, and Merlin were all sitting around. It was a round table meeting. Merlin had insisted of coming to it, though Arthur assured him that it would be boring. But, Merlin was stubborn. However, ten minutes in and he started drawing on pieces of paper that were lying around. Honestly, Arthur was surprised Merlin had lasted ten minutes. 

“We have a visitor that will be coming to Camelot in about a week’s time,” Leon explained. Everyone groaned. Merlin, however perked up. He liked meeting new people. Maybe this one would be play with him.

“We just had a visitor not that long ago. What was her name again?” Elyan asked. Gwen slapped his arm and glared at him.

“She was a highly respected noble woman. Show some respect,” Gwen hissed. 

“You don’t know her name, do you?” Elyan said. Gwen glared at him but said nothing. Leon sighed and shook his head. 

“Yes, well, this one has a surplus of barely that he’s hoping to sell to Camelot. He wants to open a trading system between his estate and the crown,” Leon explained. Arthur groaned and massaged his brow.

“What’s his name?”

“Lord Ulric,” Leon responded. Gwaine sucked in a sharp breath. It appeared to have gone unnoticed by the rest of the occupants. Not that Gwaine would care. His mind was racing with panic, anger, and fear. If this was the Ulric that Gwaine thought it was, then he needed to leave Camelot…now. He glanced around the round table at his friends and wondered how they would react to knowing the truth. How would they react knowing who this man was, and what Gwaine tried to do. How would they react knowing that this was the man Gwaine had tried to kill. 

oOoOoOo

“Tell me again why we’re visiting the scaly beast this late at night?” Arthur grumbled. Leon rolled his eyes and continued to walk to the dungeons. 

“I think something’s going on with Morgana, and Gwaine seems to have grown quieter the last few days. I want to see what he knows,” Leon responded. 

“He’ll just respond in a riddle. What’s the point in asking him?” Arthur muttered. Leon glared at the prince and lit a torch. 

“Honestly, I’m surprised Kilgharrah hasn’t tried to contact Merlin yet,” Leon said, ignoring Arthur’s previous comment. While it was true the dragon was often less than helpful, he still provided information when absolutely necessary. Arthur mumbled a response and continued down the rocky pathway. When the reached the small ledge, the two men waited for the dragon to land. A beating of wings could be heard as the beast appeared and landed on his usual rock.

“Well, well, young Pendragon, to what do I owe this pleasure?”

“Is something going to happen? To Camelot?” Leon called. The dragon turned his head towards the knight and sighed.

“As much as you and the other knights would love to think that I know everything, I do not. I assume this has something to do with the witch?” he asked.

“First off, why do you hate Morgana so much? Secondly, yes. Leon and I think she’s having visions and they seem to be worse this time around,” Arthur responded.

“I do not hate the girl, only what she will become. However, if she stays on the path she’s on now, we should have no problem. If she strays, young Pendragon, you must be prepared to face the consequences,” the dragon warned. 

“What about the visions she’s having now?” Leon asked. The dragon sighed dramatically, as if the men had interrupted something important he was doing. What that would be, Leon had no idea. It wasn’t like the dragon had any books or anything around his cave to pass the time.

“The events for building Albion have had to be altered a great deal since the young warlock’s past had been commandeered by individuals who stand to destroy the Once and Future King. Now that destiny is moving in the right direction, once again, things will begin to unfold more quickly and dangerously than before. The Old Religion does not want to wait much longer. Because of this, the path the young Warlock walks is going to be very dangerous for one so small. It is his job to protect his king. And, sir knight, it is your job to protect Merlin,” the dragon explained.

“So bad things are going to start happening?” Arthur asked. The dragon rolled his eyes, something Leon didn’t think dragons should be able to do, and turned back towards Arthur. Honestly, Leon would feel bad about coming to meet with the dragon. But he had nothing else to do. The stupid, scaly, oversized bat shouldn’t be so rude when guests did decide to stop by. Though, now that Leon thought about it, maybe they should stop by more often. It had to get lonely down here. 

“Yes, those that wish peace to be destroyed will be coming after him. Dark magic will begin seeping into the world, trying to consume his soul. You must be prepared to deal with these threats. I believe that is enough for now. Goodbye, Sir Leon, King Arthur.” And with that, the dragon flew up into the cavern away from Arthur and Leon.  
“So we didn’t really get any new information?” Arthur said, walking back towards his chambers.

“Other than the explanation about what the Old Religion wants, no,” Leon replied.

“Fantastic.”

oOoOoOo

Merlin silently tiptoed down the hallway of the cave. Something had been calling out to him in his sleep. He hoped that it was friendly. When he snuck past Arthur, he had thought to wake the sleeping man, but thought better of it. He wanted to visit the thing below the castle by himself. There was something magical about it, Merlin could just feel it. Arthur was great and all, but he just didn’t understand the connection Merlin had with the magical community. Merlin supposed he could wake up Morgana, but she hadn’t been sleeping well these past few weeks. It would be very gentlemanly for Merlin to disrupt that sleep even more. 

It was a long trek through the halls. Each twist and turn brought Merlin deeper into the castle. Finally, Merlin got to a narrow hallway. It looked dark, so he conjured one of his light balls. He giggled as the light bobbed excitedly next to him. He liked it when they were more lively. It made for more fun. But he wasn’t having fun right now. He was on a mission. A Court Sorcerer needed to constantly focus on his mission. Merlin straightened his back and walked bravely into the dark tunnel. After a few more minutes, he ended at a small ledge. He got down on his hands and knees and looked over the edge.

“Wow, it’s so deep!” Merlin explained. The little light he had created bobbed impatiently next to his head. Merlin straightened up and looked around. “Hello?” he called out. Suddenly, a large leathery creature that looked like a larger wyvern landed on a rock in front of the ledge.

“Hello young Warlock. I believe it is about time that we met,” the thing said. Merlin smiled and looked at it.

“I’m Merlin. Who are you?” The beast chuckled.

“I am Kilgharrah, the last great dragon. You, young warlock, have a very great destiny resting upon your small shoulders,” he answered.

“They’re not that small. Gaius says I’m still growing!” Merlin said. The dragon smiled before settling more comfortably on the rock.

“Young Warlock, I am here to tell you that it is your job to protect Arthur. The young king faces many threats to his power. If magic is to return and Albion is to be united, then you must keep him safe,” the dragon said. Merlin blinked up at him before breaking out into a smile.

“Alright! I’ll protect Arthur to the best of my ability, Sir Dragon,” Merlin said. He saluted the dragon.

“It’s Kilgharrah,” the beast said with a sigh.

“Kilgar-, Kil, Kilgarr. I can’t pronounce that.”

“Just get back to bed before Sir Leon yells at me for having you out so late,” the dragon sighed again. 

“Alright, Sir Dragon!” Merlin said. He gave Kilgharrah once last smile before scampering back to his small room in Arthur’s chambers. He was Arthur’s guardian! That was amazing! He would be the best guardian Arthur ever had.


	11. Chapter 11

Arthur heard light footsteps padding across his room over to his bed. He held back a groan and pretended to be asleep. It had to be Merlin that was currently standing there awkwardly at the head of Arthur’s bed. The kid was breathing loudly into Arthur’s ear, trying to gauge if the prince was asleep. Arthur wondered if he should wake up for Merlin. If the kid needed something, then Arthur wouldn’t want him wandering the castle to try and find someone else and end up getting caught by the guards and punished. Arthur knew that he needed to help Merlin, but he wasn't comfortable with that kind of thing. 

He would rather Merlin go to Gwaine or Lancelot, though Gwaine was probably entertaining some guests at the moment. Even Leon could probably provide Merlin with what he needed at night. Regardless, the boy was still breathing right next to Arthur's face. Arthur could feel Merlin lean closer to him, studying Arthur’s face. If it was really bad, then Merlin would wake Arthur up, he hoped.

"Arthur?" the boy questioned nervously. Arthur groaned and opened his eyes. He saw Merlin's tiny face in the dark; his pale skin was almost glowing in the moonlight. Arthur sat up and stretched. 

“What is it" he asked the small child. Merlin bit his lip and shook his head. Arthur wanted to groan, Merlin was not making this easy on him. "Well, if you don't want to talk about it, then go back to bed," Arthur snapped. He could have been kinder towards him, but he was never in a good mood when he woke up. Merlin’s eyes widened and he shook his head violently. Arthur felt a pang of guilt wash over him. He sighed and patted the area next to him. 

“Well then, come up here and go to sleep,” he said. Merlin looked surprised and sat there for a second, trying to see if it was some sort of joke. He decided it wasn’t and crawled up on the bed, positioning himself by Arthur's side. 

"I had a bad dream," he said. Arthur could hear the quivering in his voice, meaning he was probably crying or something. Arthur flipped back the covers. This was really Leon’s territory. What was he supposed to do if Merlin started bawling?

"Crawl in," he grumbled, trying to sound annoyed, and really it came out as being worried. Merlin's head bobbed and he hopped under the covers. Arthur had assumed the child was going to sleep on the other side of the bed, but instead he wrapped his skinny arms around Arthur's torso and hugged him tightly. 

"Can I tell you about it?" Merlin asked. Arthur really just wanted to go to sleep, but he also needed to help Merlin get over his demons. Plus, this could hold some key into the boy's past. If Arthur could figure out who had kept him captive, he could figure out who to keep Merlin away from so that he was safe. And a little revenge on the bastard wouldn’t be unwanted as well. Arthur nodded and prepared to be up for a long time. 

"Go ahead.” This week wasn't turning out very good. From the escaped prisoner to the increase of magical trials, Arthur was getting worn out. Now, Merlin was having nightmares and making Arthur have even less sleep. But it would be worth it, if Arthur could help the small child even partially. Merlin sniffled and for a moment, Arthur though he had backed out. 

"I had this friend named Will who was taken with me from my old village," Merlin began. "He was older than me by four years." Merlin explained. Arthur didn't like how the boy was in past tense. that probably meant that the kid was dead. Merlin continued on, starting to sound even more choked up. "He didn't have any magic, but he came with me for some other reason. I don't really know. But he protected me, and it was nice. But, as the years went on he became more and more depressed. I tried to cheer him up by making him butterflies when the guards weren't looking, but all the butterflies left and so he was still sad." Merlin sniffed and began to pull at the threads of Arthur’s nightshirt. Arthur was about to scold him, but something told him that Merlin was going to be crying a lot tonight.

"One day, he went up to the tall tower." Arthur did not like where this was headed. "And he jumped," Merlin stopped picketing at the hem of Arthur's shirt and looked up at the man. "I tried to jump after him, but I was too scared. It was too high and I was afraid I wouldn't die. Then, Master would be mad at me," Merlin said. Arthur felt his eyes well up with tears and he tightened his hold on Merlin. 

"So, was that what the dream was about?" he asked. Merlin nodded his head before bursting into tears.

"It was scary because Will came back to life and told me that I wasn't strong enough to jump with him. I should have been stronger," Merlin sobbed into Arthur's shirt. Arthur rubbed Merlin's back in what he hoped was a soothing manner. He wasn't really sure how to comfort Merlin. 

"I don't think Will would have wanted that," he said. Merlin sniffed and shook his head. 

"Then why did he leave me all alone? I couldn't protect myself. I was scared!" he cried. Arthur bit his lip and attempted to come up with an explanation that would be pleasing to Merlin. 

"Maybe he was protecting you. Maybe staying with you longer would have put you in more danger," Arthur said. Merlin looked at him and wiped his nose on his shirtsleeve. 

"You think?" he asked hopefully. 

"Yeah. He wanted to protect you and I'm sure that he did what he thought was best, even if it doesn’t make sense to you," Arthur said. Merlin nodded and lead his head back down. 

"Arthur?" he asked. "Will you leave me?" Arthur sucked in a breath. 

"I won't leave you," he promised. He just hoped with wasn't an empty one. 

oOoOoOo

"Arthur!" Gwaine's voice rang out through the corridor. Arthur groaned. Last night he barely got any sleep. Merlin's story haunted him and it worried Arthur that Merlin needed more help than he could provide. He had told Leon. Leon said that all they had to do right now was keep Merlin feeling safe and secure and they would be able to help him. It would be a slow process, but it would work out in the end. They just had to be patient. But now, Arthur's most annoying knight was running up to him in the corridor, demanding a little chat. Arthur was planning on murdering Sir Gwaine if that knight so much as suggested a day off of practice. 

"I need to talk to you," Gwaine said, catching up with Arthur. 

"I'm not giving you a day off," Arthur snapped. Gwaine made no comeback, something that worried a Arthur. 

"Look, it's about Ulric’s visit," he said. Arthur didn’t like how Gwaine’s eyes darted nervously around, as if he was afraid someone would hear him.  
"What about it. I know you hate nobles, but try not to anger this one," Arthur said, picking up the pace and trying to leave the knight behind. 

"No, you don't understand!" Gwaine said, picking up his pace as well. "Lord Ulric wants to kill me," Gwaine said solemnly. Arthur stopped and turned at the knight.   
"What do you mean?" he asked. Gwaine sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He pulled Arthur into a small alcove and leaned forward. 

"When I was about 16 he executed my mother and little brother for no reason. I was pissed and so I challenged him to a duel. The night before, some of the servants of the castle drugged me and smuggled me out of the castle. There was no way I was going to win, a scrawny teen like myself. When I woke up I had no idea where I was at. It took me two years to find my way back to the castle. By then, the servants had convinced me to just stay away. It wasn't worth the fight," Gwaine finished. Arthur stared at the man.   
"So you want me to keep you away from Ulric?" Arthur was sure there was more to the story than Gwaine was letting on. He was hiding something. 

"Arthur, I need to leave. If he finds me here, it could be detrimental to Camelot. And if he sees me and recognizes me, he will want to continue with the duel. I need to leave." Arthur groaned and massaged his brows. 

"How am I supposed to convince my father that you need to leave for two whole weeks?" he asked. 

"Ask Leon, that man is always s lying," Gwaine said with a forced smile. Arthur nodded. 

“I'll do my best. But when you come back, I want to know all of the details," he said. Gwaine made a sound of protest but Arthur ignored him. He was going to figure out what was happening in Camelot and with his people.

oOoOoOo

Morgana was another person who was having trouble sleeping in the castle. Night after night she was having vivid dreams. All about the downfall of Camelot. She was getting really scared and so decided to swallow her pride and visit the one person who could help. It was late at night when she snuck past the guards to her chambers and down to the dungeons. She carefully maneuvered through the long flights of stares down into the cave. She heard tithe flapping of wings and prepared herself for the inevitable insults of the dragon. 

"Hello young witch," he chuckled. Morgana rolled her eyes and steadied herself. She needed answers. 

"I'm not here because I want to be," Morgana called up. The dragon laughed. 

"Nor an I," he responded. Morgana glared at him but continued. 

"I've been having horrible nightmares every night about the destruction of Camelot," she explained. 

"And why would I care whether or not Camelot is destroyed?" the dragon asked. 

"Because, Arthur is supposed to rule all of Albion. He can't do that if his kingdom is being torn down. There would be no stepping stone for him to rule." Morgana explained. She was proud that she had kept her composure throughout the meeting. The dragon sighed. 

"Though I am not all knowing, I do know this: now that young Merlin is here, he will be able to save Camelot from its destruction," he explained. Morgana gasped. 

"But he's just a child! You can't possibly expect him too." Morgana was cut off by a loud roar. 

"I can and I will. If you do not wish to see death, then do your part in helping stop the downfall. If you remain strong, then Merlin will have a strong ally in this war. If you are weak and allow for your heart to be tainted by false promises, then Merlin will suffer greatly, as will we all," the dragon warned. Morgana was about to call up to him when he flew away. Once that dragon decided the time to stop talking, it was time to stop talking. Morgana glared at the dragon. That didn't really help her at all. She supposed she would just have to suffer through the nightmares until they came to pass. But she would most definitely stay strong for Merlin's sake. The child needed someone like that in his life. 

oOoOoOo

"What do you mean you're leaving?" Merlin whined as Gwaine stuffed another shirt in his bag. 

"It's just for two weeks Merlin. It'll be over before you know it," Gwaine promised, ruffling Merlin's hair. 

"But why doesn't Gaius go collect the plant himself?" Merlin whined. 

"Now, Merlin, we don't talk about our elders that way," Lancelot said, handing Gwaine another pair of socks.   
"I think I got enough," Gwaine grumbled. 

"I've smelled your feet, take another pair, Lancelot said. Gwaine rolled his eyes but accepted the socks. Arthur had asked Gaius and Leon to help Gwaine get out of the castle until Ulric left. They told Uther that Gaius needed some make believe plant on the top of a mountain that only grew for these two weeks. Arthur volunteered Gwaine to go so the knight was quiet eloquently removed from training and patrol missions until he got back. Arthur had asked him if Ulric was alright. 

"Just don't leave Merlin alone with him," Gwaine had warned. Now, he was leaving. Ulrich would be here sometime tomorrow and Gwaine wouldn't have to worry about running into the man again. It had been 15 years. Could Ulrich really be the same man as he was back when Gwaine had first met him? Gwaine shook his head and threw his backpack on his shoulder. He wasn't taking a horse since he wanted to stay as close to Camelot as possible, just in case trouble arrived. Merlin tugged o n his shirt. 

"Here," he said, thrusting a very crappy looking necklace in his hand. It was a strip of leather that had been twisted messily around what appeared to be a very dull, grey stone. The thing was pretty clearly handmade. Merlin probably put a lot of time and effort into making the thing. Gwaine stared at the pendant for a second before smiling. 

"It's supposed to keep you safe," Merlin muttered. Gwaine squatted down and lifted the child up in his arms. 

"You'll have fun without me here. Percival can get crazy. Just ask him about Sir Alfred's bed," Gwaine chuckled. 

"Under no circumstances are you to ask about that, Merlin," Lancelot warned. Gwaine passed Merlin to Lance and walked out the door. 

"You'll be fine. Trust me," Gwaine said with a grin. Lancelot rolled his eyes but said nothing. With that, Gwaine sauntered out the door and into the woods. He only hoped that he had told the truth to Merlin. He didn't know what would happen if he came back to discover Merlin had been hurt because of his cowardice.


	12. Chapter 12

It was almost as if fate was planning something. For, as soon as Gwaine left, not ten minutes later did a parade of carriages and people came gallivanting through the streets of Camelot. 

"Best clothes, Merlin. Wash your face as well," Leon said, desperately trying to scrub some dirt that had made its way onto Merlin's face. 

"Leon!" the boy groaned, trying to shy away from Leon's hands. 

"Let the boy be," Morgana cooed, pulling Merlin away from the knight. 

"Well, I would if Merlin didn't get so dirty," Leon hissed, once again trying his best to make Merlin look presentable. 

“Honestly, you're as bad as Arthur was at this age," Leon grumbled. Merlin giggled before running over to Perivale. He tugged on the large knight's tunic, gaining Percival's attention. Percival smiled and bend down to scoop Merlin up. 

"Where do you think Gwaine is right now?" Merlin asked, leaning his head against Percival's broad shoulders. 

"Probably out in the woods somewhere, looking for honey," Percival responded.

"I bet he doesn’t have to be dressed in these itchy clothes," Merlin grumbled. Percival laughed and set the boy so that he was on his shoulders. "I don't get what's so important about this man anyways. He's just a person," Merlin said, waving his arms before placing them on the top of Percival’s head. 

"He has some excess grain he would like to trade with us. He might have enough to increase the amount of food in Camelot. Wouldn't that be great if no one had to go hungry again?" Percival asked the small boy questioningly. 

"I guess, but why can't I dress like I normally do," Merlin asked. 

"Because everyone needs to make a good impression. Just be glad you aren't wearing the official servant’s garb," Lancelot chuckled. 

"Oh, your head wouldn't be able to stay up with the amount of feathers in the hat," Lancelot continued. Merlin perked up. 

“I want to wear a feather hat," he said. 

"Maybe when your older," Morgana cooed. Merlin pouted and continued to run his fingers through Percival's hair. 

"Merlin, " Lancelot called. Merlin looked at him. "When Lord Ulrich comes through the gate, you'll have to be on the ground. " Lancelot explained. 

"But I want to see," Merlin pouted. 

"It really won't be that interesting. Plus you'll have plenty of time to see him at the feast tonight," Elyan said. 

"He's not going," Arthur's voice called out from behind the group. 

"Why not?" Merlin whined. 

"Because you're too young to be serving alcohol to the guests. Plus, I wouldn't want you tripping and spilling wine all over Ulrich," Arthur said. Truth be told, he was worried about Merlin and Ulrich being in the same room together. Gwaine had told Arthur that Ulrich had probably changed, but that didn't stop Arthur from being suspicious. If the man really had killed Gwaine's mother and younger brother, then what else was he capable of. Gwaine’s family could have committed a crime. But that didn't seem likely. For all the questionable hobbies Gwaine had, Arthur never once felt as though Gwaine could be an actual criminal. Sure there were times when he had been banished, arrested, and set to be executed. This wasn't really helping Arthur's case. But Gwaine didn't seem like the person who could do anything in cold blood. Usually his crimes hinged on misunderstanding, usually because the man drank too much and kissed the wrong woman. But still, Arthur didn't want Merlin to be near anyone who might hurt him. Drake was still out there somewhere and Arthur now had another possible assailant in his midst. He told the others about Gwaine's confession, drawing mixed responses from the crowd. Lancelot and Gwen had suggested that it might be a different Ulrich. Percival asked if Camelot was safe for the people. Morgana and Leon had immediately asked what Arthur was going to if Ulrich had attacked Camelot. And Elyan sat there quietly. 

What everyone was most worried about was Merlin. The boy had no sense of self-preservation and Arthur was worried that if Merlin found out Ulrich had hurt Gwaine, he could try and get revenge on the man. The last thing Arthur needed was to try and stop an execution for Merlin. So, no, Merlin wasn't going to be serving Ulrich. If Arthur could manage it, he wasn't going to be leaving Arthur's chambers until Ulrich had left. 

The group reached the courtyard and Merlin was put don on the ground. He Immediately went to hide behind Morgana. Morgana laughed and patted his head.   
"It'll be fine, Merlin," She said with confidence that wasn't all there. 

"I don't like him. He isn't nice," Merlin said softly. 

"You’ve never met him," Leon pointed out. 

"But he's scary. I'm scared." Merlin said, burying his head into Morgana's skirts. They looked at one another. If Merlin was already afraid of the visitor, then that didn't bode well for the next two weeks. The parade of carriages stopped in front of Uther and Arthur. Why the man needed so much stuff, Arthur would never know. All he knew was that he was probably looking at another bootlicker. 

The carriage doors opened revealing a man in his mid-thirties. He had chocolate brown hair that was wavy and reached his shoulders. A beard speckled with grey on his chin HIs eyes were a humorless brown. They were almost soulless, it made Arthur shiver. The man stepped gracefully out of the carriage and spread his arms in a welcoming gesture. It was the opposite of what should be happening. 

"King Uther, Prince Arthur," the man said with a bright smile on his face. Arthur was sure he heard Merlin whimper and wouldn't be surprised if the boy had turned tail and ran back to his room. "How pleasant of you to invite me to Camelot. I hope that we can reach an agreement for trade." Ulric finished. Uther stepped forward. 

"Good to see you, Lord Ulric. I hope your journey was a pleasant one," Uther said. The two started walking up the stairs, making small talk. Arthur, Morgana and Leon followed. Percival had picked Merlin back up and was carrying him back to Arthur's chambers. Arthur knew this was going to be a long week. 

A few days later, Arthur wanted to scream. Ulric was nothing but kind. Even if he did seem a bit insincere at times, he still seemed to really care about the trade. As far as nobles go, he was one of the least irritating that Arthur had ever known. He bowed down to Arthur and Uther but also stood his ground on some things. He sometimes smiled a fake smile, but his laugh was always true and full of warmth. He wasn’t unkind to the servants, but he wasn't overly kind either. He had a sense of holier than thou, but he also seemed to know his flaws. 

If Arthur didn't know Gwaine, he would have said that the man was just trying to get out of training. But, Gwaine would never leave Merlin for such a long period of time. And the fear in his eyes was evident when talking to Arthur. It could be that Ulric's execution of Gwaine's family was a misunderstanding. Or maybe he was in the right. Or maybe he had changed. Either way, this man didn't seem to hold any ill will towards Camelot. Leon was having similar thoughts. While he didn't get the story from Gwaine, he was sure that the rogue knight wouldn't make something like that up. Even Gwaine had standards. He didn't really like Ulric, but the man was more pleasant to be around than some of the other nobles. He didn't seem overly arrogant but he did seem to feel entitled to certain things. There were a few rude remarks towards serving girls that probably shouldn't have been mentioned. But Leon had heard worse coming from his own knights. So, when Leon stumbled onto Ulric in the afternoon of his third day in Camelot, he was really surprised, and furious. 

"A little thing like you shouldn't be a servant," Ulric chuckled darkly. Leon tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword and made his way to the visiting noble. He would not have anyone mistreating the servants. And then he heard a whimper. A whimper that he had been all too accustomed to hearing. 

"Why don't you come with me, boy," Ulric said with a dark voice. Leon picked up his pace and turned to corner to see Merlin cowering with Arthur's dinner while Ulric loomed over him. 

"Lord Ulric," his voice echoed through the hallway, causing both to jump. Ulric turned and saw Leon. He gave a smile and ruffled Merlin's hair. Merlin seemed frozen. 

"I was just messing around. The kid needs to learn to lighten up," Ulric said. 

"And you need to take your hands off him. Merlin is not here to serve you. He is here to serve Arthur." Leon said, trying to draw attention away from Merlin and onto himself. Ulric sighed. 

"Fine, sheesh. I wasn't going to do anything to him," he said, taking a step back and walking down the corridor. 

"Merlin, come here," Leon said softly after the man had no longer in sight. Merlin whimpered and dropped the tray of food, scrambling towards Leon.

"Sorry," he hiccupped, starting to sob into Leon's cloak. Leon sighed and picked the boy up, kicking the remains of Arthur's dinner out of the way. 

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Merlin. Did he hurt you?" Leon ask. 

"No, he just scared me. And he wouldn't let me go," Merlin said, continuing to cry. Leon heard him sniff and rubbed the back of Merlin. They reached Arthur chambers to see Lancelot and Arthur sitting at the table. 

"Merlin, where have you been? I'm starving," Arthur called, not quite realizing that Merlin was currently sobbing into Leon's shirt. 

"What happened," Lancelot asked, getting up from the table and going to look at Merlin. Arthur looked up and saw Merlin and Leon, his eyes narrowing. 

"I found Ulric cornering him in the hallway," Leon said, passing Merlin to Lancelot. Lancelot started cooing and trying to calm Merlin down. 

"Is he hurt?" Arthur asked. Leon shook his head. 

"I knew there was something about that man. He was perfect enough so that we wouldn't suspect him, but not so perfect so as for us to be slightly annoyed by him," Lancelot spat. Arthur nodded and stood to brush Merlin's hair out of his eyes. Once the boy had calmed down and was put to bed, the three men sat around the table. 

"He's hiding something," Arthur said. 

"Yeah, but we have no proof," Lancelot reminded Arthur. 

"We don't even know what he could possibly be hiding. He might want the kingdom, I suppose," Leon mused.

"He doesn't seem like that kind of guy, though," Arthur stated. 

"Well, then, we'll just have to find some evidence," Lancelot said, standing and making his way to the doo.   
"What, are you crazy?" Arthur cried. 

"We need to make sure that he isn't going to try and take over Camelot. HE's hiding something. I am going to figure out what it is," Lancelot stated. Arthur swallowed and nodded. 

“Just, be careful," he said. Lancelot nodded and was out the door. 

"I'll go find the others and tell them of our suspicions," Leon said, also standing and making his way to the door. 

"I'll stay with Merlin. I pray that Ulric was just drunk and not actually evil." Arthur said sadly. Leon nodded and left the chambers. Arthur sank back. He felt as though his world was falling to pieces around him.


	13. Chapter 13

Once he exited the room, Lancelot let his emotions flow. He didn’t want to give Arthur any reason not to let him search Ulric’s chambers. He didn’t want to give this man sympathy for what he had done to Merlin. He would tear the chambers apart until he found some evidence that would get Ulric kicked out of Camelot. Better yet, he would find some evidence that would get Ulric imprisoned. But, Arthur would have never let Lancelot go if he didn’t think the man’s head was full of fury and not the calm he usually felt. No one hurt a child while Lancelot was around, especially Merlin. He cursed Ulric for making him feel this way. He cursed Ulric for disrupting the peace. And he cursed Ulric for ever trying to lay a hand on Merlin. He would teach him a lesson, if it was the last thing he did. 

"Lancelot, wait," Leon called after him. He must have seen Lancelot’s face when he finally exited the room. He had seen how it had slowly disintegrated it’s calm exterior, letting the anger erode away his features. Now, he was going to try and calm him down. But Lancelot was having none of it.

"Leon, he’s evil. He needs to be taken out. " Lancelot spat. Leon managed to catch up to Lancelot. He grabbed his arm and tugged him into an alcove. Lancelot was about to protest when Leon held up his hand and shook his head. A warning. Leon still outranked him and could command Lancelot not to search Ulric’s chambers. Lancelot wisely buried any comments he had in the back of his throat. He hoped the knight would allow him to say his piece, and allow him to continue on his mission. 

"He is also an honored guest. We can't just run around making baseless accusations. We have to do this carefully. If we make so much as one mistake, it could give Ulric the upper hand. That is why Arthur let you go. You’re calm and you don’t make mistakes. However, as you are now, you may give Ulric reason to suspect us and reason to turn against us. We have to be careful,” Leon said. Lancelot let Leon’s words bounce around in his mind. Of course he was right. Lancelot was endangering the entire mission like this. He could have made things worse than they already were. 

"I know, you're right. It's just, we promised to protect Merlin but we still failed," Lancelot sighed. Leon patted his shoulder. 

"First off, we didn’t fail Merlin. Ulric cornered him but did nothing to harm the child. I got there in time. Now that we are suspicious of Ulric, now that we know he’s up to something, we can be prepared. We don’t have to run around here blindly, though. That’s what your job is. For all we know, he could just be a danger to the servants, and not at all to Camelot. But we need more information so that we can continue to plan and prepare. We can’t just rush in there with no idea what we’re up against. However, if you succeed, then we have a chance on bringing a very dangerous man down,” Leon said. Lancelot nodded and allowed himself to be led out of the alcove. He had calmed down significantly and no longer wanted to murder Ulric as badly. He still wanted to teach that man a lesson, but that could wait now. Leon was right. He usually was. 

"Just trust me. Everything will end up just fine," Leon promised. Lancelot nodded and took a few more deep breaths. He felt he was calm enough now to continue his mission.   
The two walked in a comfortable silence. Lancelot was preparing various excuses as to why he was in Ulric’s chambers. Leon was preparing to tell the others what had happened. A large group of guards rounded a corner. 

“That’s odd. They’re usually not is such large groups,” Leon muttered. Lancelot noticed one of the men whispering into someone who appeared to be the leader. The leader looked towards the knights and nodded.

“This isn’t good,” Lancelot said. 

"There he is," the leader said, pointing at Lancelot. Leon stiffened and his hand went to his sword. If such a large group was here for Lancelot, that couldn’t mean anything good.   
"What do you gentlemen want?" he asked. 

"Sir, Leon, I suggest you step aside unless you want to be tried for treason," the leader said. The guards quickly came to a stop around the pair and surrounded them, allowing for no escape. 

"What’s going on? What have I done?" Lancelot said, stepping in front of Leon. 

“If you don’t struggle, things will be easier on you. Now hold out your wrists.” Lancelot complied. One of the guards clamped a pair of cuffs on Lancelot's wrists. 

"Sir Lancelot, you are hereby charged with sorcery," the leader stated. Lancelot and Leon’s jaws dropped. Lancelot’s eyes widened as he tried to comprehend what was going on. Leon shook his head viciously before stepping forward.

"What?" Leon cried. “Who accused him?” Lancelot himself wasn’t making much of an effort to get free as he was dragged away. He looked to be in shock more than anything. His mouth was opening and closing, never quiet forming words. Meanwhile, Leon jogged to catch up with the leader, trying to get more information. 

"You have been sentenced to burn on the pyre in two days time. I hope you've made peace with God," one guard said. 

“He hasn’t done anything. Answer my questions!” Leon cried.

"I haven't done anything?" Lancelot repeated. 

“Sir Leon, if you want to argue against this accusation, I suggest you talk to the king. He was the one that gave us the orders,” the leader said. Leon stared at where they were dragging Lancelot away. He paced back and forth trying to figure out a way to free him. The guard was right though, talking to the king would be the easiest way to figure out what was going on. He had a council meeting now and should be there. Leon turned and ran through the hallways, desperate to find a way to release his friend. 

He burst through the door to see Uther in a conversation with some of his advisors. Ulric was looking far too smug for Leon's peace of mind. If there was any doubt about this man’s intentions before, they were all clear now. Ulric was behind Lancelot’s accusation. There was no other explanation for the way he was acting. Arthur and Morgana looked bored, meaning they probably hadn't heard the news yet. 

"Sir Leon, is there anything I can help you with?" Uther asked. He didn’t look surprised to see Leon there. He didn’t look surprised to see Leon looking so angry. Did that mean Uther expected the knight to burst through the chamber doors like this? What was going on here?

"Who accused Lancelot of sorcery?" Leon demanded. He heard a tiny cry and the clatter of a jug. Leon closed his eyes and mentally smacked himself. He should have known Merlin would be here. And now he just blurted out that Lancelot, one of Merlin’s favorite knights, was now accused of sorcery. Furthermore, Merlin had magic and was promised that he was safe here. Now, he had just heard that Lancelot was accused of sorcery. He was probably terrified. Leon wanted to go and hug the child and tell him it was alright, that it was all just a misunderstanding. But he couldn’t. Not now. He needed to hear Uther’s explanation as to why he sentenced one of his most loyal knights to burn at the pyre.

"What?" Arthur cried. He heard a rush of whispers fill the room. Some sounded surprised, some did not. The castle shook, cause Leon to turn and look at Merlin. Percival was currently by his side, trying to calm the boy.

“Lancelot’s gone?” Merlin gasped, his eyes flashed gold for a brief second. 

“No, it’s just a mistake. We’ll fix it no time,” Percival replied, kneeling down to pick up Merlin. 

“I want to stay! I can tell the king it was me!” Merlin cried. Percival hushed him.

“It wasn’t you though Merlin. Lying is bad and so you shouldn’t lie about this.”

“But it wasn’t Lancelot either,” Merlin whimpered.

“I know. But Leon and Arthur can fix this. You have to trust them though,” Percival said before rushing out the doors. Leon was glad Uther hadn’t ordered Merlin to be arrested when he admitted to using magic. Perhaps the king did not trust Merlin’s word, since Percival had told him not to lie. Whatever the case, Leon was just glad that he didn’t have to convince Uther that two people were innocent.

"Sir Leon," Uther growled, "remember your place. And I have proof that Lancelot was a practicing sorcerer," Uther said. Leon tried his best not to start shouting at the king. That wouldn’t help Lancelot’s situation any and might make it worse. He couldn’t risk that. He had to remain calm. He had to find evidence that Lancelot was innocent. 

"Who accused him?” Morgana demanded. She looked livid and scared at the same time. Arthur looked as though he was still trying to process what Leon had said. The rest of the council anxiously awaited the outcome, each trying to predict what would happen. 

"By me," Ulric said, his voice wavering slightly. Leon furrowed his brows. This man really wanted to try and convince Leon that he was innocent in this whole thing? "It was sometime last week that he was chanting these awful spells,” Ulrich said, his voice rising with distress. “It was truly and awfully terrifying. Honestly,” he claimed. His hands went to his shirt and began to straighten the garment, smoothing out the wrinkles that weren’t really there. “ I then went to investigate his chamber and found several stones. I thought they might be used for magic so they were brought to Uther.” He looked up at Leon and shrugged. “Better safe than sorry.” He smiled. Leon had to fight not to punch him in his stupid face. Morgana stood up. The chair clattering to the ground with the amount of force she used. Her hand balled into fists and her eyes full of fire.

"You targeted him because he was getting close to finding out the truth. You're hiding something! I know you are. Lancelot did too!" Morgana screeched. 

"All you of you, be quiet," Uther shouted, effectively stopping the conversation. The council members shifted uncomfortably in their seats unsure of what to do. "While it is admirable that you protect a member of Camelot from any accusations, I have no choice but to conclude that Lancelot has been using sorcery. He will die and that is the end of it. Leon, Arthur, with me. I have some things to discuss." Uther stood up and stalked away. Arthur and Morgana shared one last look at Ulric before standing and following the king. Ulric sighed with relief and sagged back into the chair. Some of the council members went to console him on how scary and hard it must have been for him. Leon didn’t bother to stay and argue more. He could do that with Uther in the chambers. Once inside his chambers, Uther collapsed into a chair. 

"Father, you can't do this. Lancelot has done nothing wrong!" Arthur cried once the chamber doors shut. 

"Will you quit shouting, I don't need the entire castle to hear," Uther said. Arthur snapped his mouth shut and continued to glare at his father. Leon wondered what Uther needed to talk to them about that couldn’t be discussed in the chambers of the council. Maybe he was going to fire Leon for speaking out against him. But something didn’t seem to fit with that scenario. Uther was hiding something from the men. "The gems Ulric brought to me were authentic, Gaius helped confirm it.” Leon opened his mouth to argue. "Do not interrupt me, Sir Leon. Or I will see that you spend the rest of your life on an endless patrol,” Uther snapped. Leon closed his mouth and allowed Uther to continue. “I don't feel comfortable with the outcome of these events. Why do you think his execution isn't tomorrow, or tonight?" Uther asked, staring intently at the two men. 

“What?” Leon asked. Arthur looked at Leon, trying to see if he knew what Uther was talking about. It was a few seconds before Arthur’s face lit up.

"You mean?" Arthur began. Uther held up a hand to stop Arthur. 

"You are not to talk with the prisoner. I want to you to find out more about what he's been doing. Ask around the castle, surely there must be something there that will prove who is telling the truth," Uther commanded. “You are dismissed." Leon and Arthur nodded and left the chambers. 

"Has Uther been replaced?" Leon asked as soon as the door closed. Arthur shook his head.

"Let's get back to the others and explain tot them what is going on. Morgana should be happy that father wants Lancelot’s innocence to be proved." Leon nodded and followed Arthur. 

They reached his chambers to hear Morgana's heals clicking across the floor. Leon opened the chamber door to see Merlin in Percival's arms, unconscious. Elyan was comforting Gwen and Morgana was storming back and forth across the room.

"What happened to Merlin?" Arthur asked, rushing to the boy's side. Ulric could have done something to him. He couldn’t risk not being able to protect Merlin as well as his own knights. 

"I think he's collapsed in on himself. He doesn't seem to be responding to anything I've been doing," Percival said sadly. Arthur nodded. He lifted up the child and carried him to his room where he tucked Merlin in. 

"Lancelot will be fine Merlin, you'll see. Don’t start doubting me now,” Arthur said. He patted Merlin’s head before heading back into the main chamber. 

"I hope you gave that horrible man a piece of you mind," Morgana seethed. Leon wrapped his arms around her shoulders to stop her from walking anymore. 

"Actually, he doesn't think that Lancelot's done anything wrong," Arthur explained. Gwen looked up. Tears were streaming down her face, but she looked hopeful.

"Then why has he been arrested? Why has he been sentenced to death!" she cried. 

"Because Uther doesn't want Ulric catching onto his suspicions. The longer we keep Ulric in the dark, the more investigating we can do," Leon explained. 

"Then we'll just have to find his plan and get him to confess before Lancelot is killed," Morgana spat, walking quickly out the door. No one got up to stop Morgana, but Gwen did stand up and follow after her.

“I hope we can do this. Uther should have given us more time,” Percival groaned.

“He gave us all the time he could,” Leon said. 

oOoOoOo

Gwaine sat back and looked at the night sky. Any day now Ulric should be leaving Camelot. He wondered if everyone was alright. There was a niggling in the back of his head that told Gwaine that things were starting to fall apart back at Camelot. He shouldn't have left them. He should be there, face Ulric like a man. But there was something about facing that man that caused Gwaine to be scared. He didn’t have a conscious. He wouldn’t listen to reason. He was an animal, only looking to secure his own gain. He probably wouldn’t hesitate is cutting down Gwaine the moment he saw him. Gwaine didn't like being scared. 

Besides, it wasn't as if Ulric had that much weight in Camelot's politics. It was possible that the deal would fall through and that Ulric would never return. But could Gwaine live with himself if Ulric continued to rule. Such a tyrant was not needed for the people. Gwaine turned onto his side and stared out at the dark forest. He couldn't help the twisting feeling that that settled in his stomach. Something was wrong. He could just feel it. His instincts were never wrong and given how they were about Ulric, Gwaine was more than willing to bet the right now, Ulric was doing something horrible. 

Gwaine sat up and decided he needed to go back to Camelot. He could sneak in at night and spend his days in one of the knight's chambers or even his own. He would stay and fight Ulric if the man stepped one toe out of line. With this decided, Gwaine rolled over and continued to get sleep. He was going to need it if he was to face the man who killed his family. One way or another, Ulric would never hurt someone he loved again.


	14. Chapter 14

Arthur was nervously pacing back and forth across his room. Important papers had been neglected on the far side of the table. Scattered about with no care to the words that were on the page. No, Arthur was focused on something much more important that mere papers. He knew that the work given to him would have helped him forget about his current situation, but each time he sat down, his mind drifted. It refused to let go of his worry. It refused to let him concentrate on anything else other than the small boy who was still unconscious in his bed. It refused to let him forget for a moment how one of his most trusted knights was set to burn tomorrow afternoon if Leon’s investigation bore no results. 

It had been almost a full day since Merlin had collapsed against Percival. The small child was still asleep, still trapped in his dreams. Gaius could find no reasonable explanation to this. He thoroughly checked the boy over. He listened to his breathing, took his temperature, listened to his heartbeat, but there was nothing. IT was as if Merlin decided to take a very long nap.

“It’s probably the stress of everything,” Gaius had said. “Merlin is still recovering from his time in the forest and too much excitement has probably overloaded him. We just have to wait and see. I’m sorry, but there’s nothing else I can do,” Gaius continued with a sigh. Arthur had accepted that Gaius had done everything he could legally do. Arthur wasn’t about to risk Gaius’ life because he wanted Merlin to wake up. But, he would only wait another day before asking Gaius to do something more drastic. He had a feeling that Gaius was already planning on doing something, judging by the spread of books with funny letters that decorated Gaius’ table. 

Arthur gently tucked Merlin in, taking care not to jostle the boy too much. Leon had told him how children were surprisingly resilient, but he was still afraid that one slip of the hand could hurt Merlin, could crush him in unimaginable ways. Arthur’s body was hardened by years of intense training. Merlin was lighter than his sword. Arthur had worked hard to make his body into the perfect killing machine. Merlin was just a tiny, underweight, scared little boy who wanted nothing more than to chase butterflies and pick flowers. So, Arthur was gentle with Merlin. He could not risk causing any pain to his kid. The one that had been so bold when healing Leon and saving the men. He would do everything in his power to make sure that Merlin never lost the need to chase butterflies and pick flowers. Merlin would feel safe here. 

Giving Merlin one last pat on his dark head, Arthur pulled on his jacket and went to find Leon. If Merlin was going to be happy here, the first thing Arthur needed to do is to make sure that Lancelot wasn’t killed for sorcery. But to do that, he first needed proof that Ulric was planning something. He needed proof that Ulric wasn’t what he pretended to be, that he was much, much worse. 

Arthur walked down the halls with a purpose. His head held high, his back straight. His footsteps echoing off the stone walls and letting those farther down the corridor know he was coming. Finding evidence against Ulric was proving to be a much more difficult task that Arthur had originally imagined. The man may not suspect Uther’s part in the investigation, but he probably knew that Arthur would not sit idly while his knights were accused of the most heinous crime in Camelot. So, Ulric planned. It was a chess game and both parties knew this. At all hours of the day there was someone in Ulric’s room or tailing the man. Servants would come up to Leon and Arthur telling them anything remotely strange that happened with the man. Leon had mentioned that Merlin was accosted by Ulric in the hallway. There was only one problem with using that with Uther: 1) Nobles weren’t known to be the nicest to servants and Merlin didn’t have a scratch on him. 2) Merlin was currently unconscious and couldn’t tell Uther anything. So, it was purely up to the citizens of Camelot to find what Ulric was hiding, to find the one thing that could save a good man. Arthur’s pawns had moved, trying desperately to capture the king. It was just too bad that Ulric was a master of the game and could counter any move without even trying. 

Arthur’s thoughts and feet led him further from the chamber, leaving the young warlock in his own dreams. This, however, was about to be interrupted as a roar from underneath the castle, a deep and ancient voice penetrating deep into Merlin’s mind.

“Young warlock, you cannot lounge around all day! Your king needs you. Your destiny is calling!” the dragon said. The words bounced around Merlin’s brain, yanking him from his sleep. Eyes opened wide, Merlin focused on the room around him. He was still in Arthur’s chambers. He was this in the castle. And Lancelot was still arrested. 

Merlin sat up, the blood draining from his head made him a bit dizzy and sick, but he quickly recovered. Merlin slid off the bed, his legs shaking from not being used for so long. He spotted a glass of water by the bed and drank it greedily. There was no time to waste. Sir dragon was right, he needed to help Arthur and Lancelot. How was Merlin supposed to be the most powerful warlock to walk the earth if he couldn’t even save his friend?

Merlin pulled on his large coat, he looked at the sleeves and closed his eyes. 

“Don’t worry, Freya, once I save Lancelot maybe I can save you too,” Merlin said. He was not going to fail this time. He was going to be strong and help a lot of people. He was going to help Freya, and Lancelot, and everyone! The first thing he had to do, though, was figure out what Ulric wanted. He was evil, so he must have a plan.

Merlin was careful to sneak down the hallways, ducking into coves every so often. The hallways were crowded, but sneaking made Merlin feel as if he was doing things right. He wondered if Leon of Gwaine ever snuck down the hallways like this. Merlin dashed into the nearest alcove and looked around the corner. There was no one there. 

He was almost to Ulric’s chambers. Merlin hoped that the man wouldn’t be in there right now. Every time Merlin saw him his tummy twisted and he felt all shaky and scared. He just wanted to run to one of his friends whenever Ulric was in a room. He was a scary man. A scary man who wanted to do scary things to Camelot. Merlin swallowed and dashed to Ulric’s room. He liked Camelot so he shouldn’t let Ulric do scary things to Camelot. He could protect just as well as anyone else. Then, when he managed to find proof that Ulric was scary, he could show Uther and Uther would release Lancelot and then everyone would be happy. Well, Ulric wouldn’t be happy, because he had lost, but the good people would be happy!

Merlin arrived at the door and knocked politely. He straightened his jacket and waited for a reply. It didn’t sound as if anyone was there, so Merlin could investigate! Maybe he didn’t have to be afraid after all. Merlin pushed the door open and slipped inside. The curtains were drawn so it was very dark. Merlin didn’t like the dark. But he would be brave so that he could help Arthur save Lancelot. 

Merlin began poking around the room, looking for anything that would prove Ulric was evil. Merlin didn’t find anything. He sighed and looked around the room one last time before shaking his head.

“Of course he wouldn’t just leave stuff here!” Merlin cried, fisting at his hair. He sighed and began to walk towards the door, upset with himself when his foot caught a corner of the rug. Merlin gave a shout and tumbled to the ground. His hands and knees stung from where the smacked the ground. He really hated these rugs in Camelot. They were always making him trip, which made people laugh at him. Maybe Merlin could ask Arthur to get rid of all the rugs. He was a prince and he had that power. Right? 

Merlin let his head flop to the side so that it was looking under the bed. There was something off about the bottom. Merlin tilted his head and stared intently at the underneath. It looked like something had been stuffed up under the mattress. Merlin got on his hands and knees and crawled to the bed. The shape seemed to disappear when he just glanced under the bed. From this height it was impossible to tell that there was anything underneath here. It looked like an ordinary mattress. How odd.

Merlin laid down on his tummy again and the shape seemed to come into more focus. It looked like a trunk. Merlin reached out with a hand and his fingers brushed the wood of the box. Merlin reached another hand out and began pulling on the trunk, trying to get it free from whatever it was stuck on. Without meaning to, Merlin’s magic swelled within him and the box came out from underneath the bed, skidding across the floor and taking Merlin with it. 

Merlin let out an ‘oof’. The box stopped sliding and the top flopped open, revealing its content. Merlin reached in and pulled out a paper. It looked official. Merlin tilted his head and began to read.

‘I hope you can full-fill your miss-eon,” Merlin began reading. He groaned. He should have paid more attention to Leon’s lessons. This was hard. But, he had to keep going if he wanted to present this as proof to Uther. ‘I want the Prince, a-alive. Kill ev-er-i-one-lse that gets in you-your way.” Merlin’s eyes widened. “He wants Arthur?” Merlin gasped. He couldn’t think of any other prince that was in Camelot, unless Merlin misread the letter. But he didn’t think that was possible. There was another letter underneath. Merlin pulled this one out and began reading. It was shorter than the last one. 

“It will be d-d-done,” Merlin read. His eyes flitted down to the bottom of the page and caught a signature. “Drake.” Merlin’s heart began to beat faster. So it was Ulric who had hired Drake to kidnap Arthur. But why? What was Ulric planning? And why come to Camelot for a treaty if you were just going to hire someone to kidnap the prince anyways?   
Merlin shook his head and dug through the trunk a little more. There was a small group of crystals at the bottom, underneath more letters. Merlin’s eyes were drawn to a red one. Curious, Merlin reached to pick it up. It was red like blood. Merlin shuddered to think what such an evil looking crystal would do. His instincts were screaming not to touch it. He had enough proof that Ulric was evil and scary. He didn’t need anymore. But his hands were reaching towards the red crystal, drawing him further from the room and into his reflection on the dark planes. 

Merlin’s tiny hands clamped around the crystal and the effects were instant. His vision darkened, but he wasn’t asleep. He was still awake. Awake enough to feel pain, at least. There were several hot needles stabbing into his skin. They wouldn’t stop and it burned and hurt. Merlin wouldn’t be surprised if he was screaming. He was begging his hands to let go of the crystal that was hurting him, but they were attached to the crystal like his head was to his shoulders. The pain continued to increase, making Merlin feel more scared and alone. He just wanted Arthur. But Arthur didn’t know he was here. Arthur still thought Merlin was in his bed, sleeping peacefully. Then, the pain was gone.

Merlin felt his mind returning to the room. He was lying on his side, the stone pushing on his shoulder painfully. He was shaking and felt tears running down his face. Merlin was also aware that someone else was in the room with him. He opened his eyes to see Ulric standing over him. The man had a smile on his face. But it wasn’t the kind of smile you do when you’re happy. It wasn’t even a smile. It was an ugly contortion of the face that made Ulric look less nice and more evil. Merlin gave a small whimper and tried to crawl away. Ulric remained standing there.

“Well, I see you’ve done some investigating,” Ulric said with a laugh. Merlin winced at the laugh but continued to crawl away. “Why don’t you tell me what you’ve found,” Ulric continued. Merlin felt a hand grip his shoulder and he instantly went into a full panic mode. Merlin twisted around and delivered a kick to Ulric’s knee. 

~“Now Merlin,” Gwaine had said, looking more serious than normal. 

“Yes Gwaine?” Merlin replied, grinning excitedly. Gwaine had said that he was going to teach Merlin some self-defense. Arthur and Leon both agreed no pointy things so Gwaine was just going to do basic hand-to-hand combat. 

“If anyone ever tries to grab you and take you away, you kick, bite, punch, spit, whatever until they let go,” Gwaine said. He knelt down so that he was eye level with Merlin.  
“But how would that help? Won’t they be stronger than me?” Merlin asked, confused about what Gwaine was trying to teach him. He wanted to learn how to punch. Gwaine chuckled and ruffled his hair.

“You just have to make it so that you’re more effort than you’re worth. If you keep fighting and struggling, even if you never manage to hurt the man, there’s a good chance they’ll just give up and run away. Also, scream as loud as you can. Again, you want to make it difficult for them. Never just give up because you’re scared. Keep fighting for all you’re worth. Make it so that they’re forced to let you go,” Gwaine explained. Merlin nodded and continued to listen as Gwaine went over some basic blocking techniques.~

Another kick to the knee sent Ulric sprawling back against the floor. 

“You stupid brat!” he cried. Ulric lunged at Merlin and managed to catch him around his waist. Merlin started to do exactly what Gwaine told him to do, kick and scream and flail for all he was worth. He would not let Ulric take him anywhere. Ulrich managed to get a hand over Merlin’s mouth only to have it be bitten and licked. Ulric let out a sound of disgust and tried again to subdue Merlin. 

As the struggle went on, Merlin’s eyes steadily began flashing gold more and more. The castle shook with each surge of power, rumbling and shaking with such power. Before Merlin knew what was happening, Ulric had picked up another crystal, this one was blue. His eyes widened as the crystal was pressed into his skin, causing him to go limp. 

“I’m glad you’ve finally decided to cooperate,” Ulric said. He was panting heavily but Merlin barely noticed this as his energy began to drain more and more. Ulric picked Merlin up and began carrying Merlin out of the room. “Let’s not drain you too much. I still want you to be alive for this next part,” Ulric said, exiting the room. Merlin was distantly aware that the crystal was no longer being pressed into his skin. He was feeling a bit better now that his energy wasn’t disappearing. The ground was becoming more uneven and the air was getting colder and damper. Merlin barely registered that they were below the castle. He wondered if Ulric was taking him to Sir Dragon. His thoughts were proven to be false as Ulric tossed him unceremoniously onto the ground. Merlin let out a cry and turned his head towards Ulric. He still didn’t have enough strength to stand up and fight. But maybe once Ulric left his magic could repair him faster and he could still tell Uther what had happened. 

“I hope you enjoy your final hours, youngling,” Ulric said. Merlin eyes widened as Ulric’s flashed gold, causing the earth to rumble once more. The rock began crashing down, blocking Merlin’s way out. They were piling more and more until Ulric could no longer be seen. Merlin was trapped down here. He was too weak to escape and there was no way out. He was trapped down here. 

oOoOoOo

Arthur was sprinting down the corridors, trying to find Leon or anyone he could trust. He nearly ran into the knight as both them turned the corner. Arthur didn’t waste any time in talking.

“Merlin’s not in his room,” he blurted out. Leon shook his head.

“The castle shook. Uther knows it was magic! We have to find the child and make sure he’s safe,” Leon explained. 

“He’s probably in Ulric’s room, looking for clues,” Arthur said. Leon nodded and both men sprinted towards the other end of the castle. When they got there, Percival and Elyan had joined them as well. 

“We just got here, I don’t think Ulric is in the room, though,” Elyan explained. Leon pushed opened the door and the four men dashed inside. 

“Merlin!” Percival called, looking around the room. 

“Guys, you should look at this,” Leon said. Arthur turned and saw the man kneeling by a trunk full of letters.

“We never saw that when we were investigating,” Elyan said, pulling out a letter and reading it. He gasped. “Ulric’s the one that hired Drake to get us!” he cried, thrusting the letters towards the others. 

“Guys, we have a bigger problem!” Percival said, drawing their attention towards him. In his hand was a blue neckerchief, the very one that Merlin wore around his neck.

“We have to find my father and get him to arrest Ulric. We need to know where Merlin is,” Arthur said before leaving the room, the letters clutched in his hands. The others followed after, each worried about what had happened with Merlin. 

oOoOoOo

The ground shook with such ferocity that rocks collapsed off the ceiling. Lancelot huddled in a corner, protecting his head from any falling rocks that may hit him. When the earthquake ended, he straightened up to see his door to the cell crushed. Lancelot peeked out to see Ulric practically skipping down the halls. Lancelot’s eyes narrowed and he waited until the man had turned the corner before dusting himself off of and racing after him. Something dangerous was going on, and Lancelot was not going to sit by and watch as Camelot crumbled.


	15. Chapter 15

The knights sprinted down the corridors. Each man was pushing himself to the brink of exhaustion as they continued through the castle, winding their way through the halls. Arthur knew that it was a bad idea to deplete their energy now, but he couldn’t bring himself to tell his men to slow down. He couldn’t even slow down. It was as if his legs had grown a will of their own. “Save Merlin. Kill Ulric. Save Merlin. Kill Ulric.” The words were repeating themselves in Arthur’s head, hammering into his very flesh. Judging by the looks on the faces of his friends, they were having very similar thoughts. 

But there were other words pounding in Arthur’s skull, overtaking the ones that were driving him to go faster, run harder. “Merlin might be dead. You failed to keep him safe.” Arthur shook his head, trying his hardest to ignore these ones. Merlin was not dead. He couldn’t be dead. Arthur couldn’t fail him. He wasn’t just Arthur’s destiny, he was a child who was too innocent for the world yet too knowledgeable of the horrors it held. Merlin was something very precious and Arthur refused to let him think that Merlin was gone forever. 

"The king has to be warned. He has to be prepared. I don’t know what Ulric is planning, but something is off about this whole thing," Leon said. He barely managed to swerve around some servants, his mind focused more on battle strategies for a man who was a complete mystery. 

“Do we even know what he wants?” Elyan said, huffing a little. He managed to leap over a small pile of rocks that had been dislodged from the wall. The earthquake had caused some extensive damage to the castle. Walls had been pulled down, foundations were cracked, people were injured. It was an unnerving site. Arthur’s people were suffering and it was all because he had let a stranger take residence in his castle, under his protection.   
“He wants Arthur,” Percival responded.

“But we don’t know why. He wants you alive, for some reason,” Elyan said, casting a brief glance in Arthur’s direction. In truth, Arthur didn’t care about what Ulric wanted with him. He just wanted to hurt the man who had dared to hurt Merlin. 

"Let's just hope he hasn't injured Merlin. We should have never trusted him," Arthur spat. The men didn’t respond to this. They merely continued to run through the halls, coming closer to their final destination. 

When the doors to the throne room appeared, it was like a weight that had been pressing down on Arthur’s shoulders increased its weight a thousand fold. Ulric would know by now that Arthur was onto him. He would not wait long to attack and take what he wanted. In fact, Arthur might even be too late. There was nothing that was keeping Ulric from leveling this kingdom to the ground. The doors flew open to reveal Gaius and Uther both looking a little shaken, but alive. Arthur allowed himself to breathe a little easier with this revelation. But, he still had Merlin to worry about. 

“Father," Arthur called. Uther turned towards Arthur’s direction. Leon and Elyan began checking the room for any traps. Percival closed the door and stood guard.   
"Arthur, what is going on?" Uther asked. 

"It's Ulric. He's a sorcerer. He hired Drake to catch me and he has Merlin," Arthur explained. He was still a bit out of breath from running the entire way here. But there wasn’t a moment to lose. His kingdom was in danger. He needed every able-bodied man ready to fight an enemy with unknown motives and unknown abilities. 

"Oh no," Gaius gasped. Arthur felt his heart clench at the sight of the old man. Gaius had visibly paled upon hearing the news. While Arthur never thought of him as an old man, he looked older now than ever before. During Merlin’s stay here, Gaius had become very attached to the child. Apparently, Merlin reminded him of a woman he had lost contact with a long time ago. To hear that the boy was in danger appeared to have taken its toll on the old man. He collapsed into a chair and stared blankly at the ground. 

"We have to find him and stop him before he causes any more damage to the castle," Arthur continued. Arthur wanted to comfort Gaius, but the best way to help Merlin was to find Ulric and make him talk. 

"You think he did this?" Uther asked, stepping towards Arthur. There was a small voice in the back of Arthur’s head that told him ‘No, Merlin did this. He was scared and called out for help the only way he could.’ But Ulric was also a mystery. Perhaps it was the combined powers of the two that caused the castle to crumble. And if Ulric knew about Merlin, then that could make him even more dangerous. 

Arthur heard Percival cry out and whirled around. His eyes widened. 

"I did in fact, do this," Ulric laughed gesturing to the damaged room around him. There was a blue crystal pressing into Percival’s arms, making his eyes go unfocused. His body began to sink to the ground when Ulric removed the stone. 

“That should keep you busy for a few minutes, big guy,” Ulric said.

“What do you want? What did you do to Percival?” Leon demanded, his sword poised for attack. Arthur held up his hand to stop Leon from charging forward. Leon was usually so level-headed, but this situation was a bit more personal than what he normally had to deal with. Ulric threw back his head and laughed.

“These crystals were given to me by a very old woman who wanted revenge on Uther Pendragon. Little Merlin got a taste of a few of them. It was nice to know they work so well on a child,” Ulric said. 

“What did you do to him?” Leon repeated. Ulric waved half-heartedly in Leon’s direction.

“Don’t worry about the man. He’s just going to feel a bit sleepy for a few minutes, an hour at the most. The crystals don’t actually do any physical harm. Mental harm, well, that’s another story,” Ulric said. He started laughing and stepped past Percival, who had fallen completely to the floor, and towards the group. Arthur looked away from the scene that was just behind Ulric. Guards, servants, and maid all lay in heaps on the floor. The blood was mixing together, filling every crack with the sticky, red substance. Ulric must have put a spell on them. Their screams never managed to make it to Arthur’s ears. Arthur was thankful when Percival managed enough strength to close the door. He would give every person a nobleman’s funeral if he won. They fought against this monster. They deserved to be recognized for their deeds. 

“You have committed treason against your king! You will be killed for this!” Uther screeched. He unsheathed his sword. Arthur turned and tried to tell him not to attack Ulric, but it was too late. 

"I can't have you in my way," Ulric said. His eyes flashed gold and a large puff of smoke filled the room. Arthur thought about every time Merlin used magic. The same color would circle around his blue irises, lighting up his face whenever a spell went right. When Melrin’s eyes flashed, they were a beautiful and magical thing. It made Arthur’s heart swell with pride whenever he saw the boy perform wonderful feats. 

When Morgana’s eyes flashed gold, they were dangerous, but comforting all the same. They didn’t hold the same sense of wonder and joy that Merlin seemed to carry everywhere with him. But they did command respect. They showed the heart of someone who could squash you like a bug if she so decided. But where Merlin was wild and uncontrolled, Morgana was much more restrained in her powers. She could squash you like a bug, but she had the ability to stop herself.

Ulric’s eyes were like the worst qualities of Merlin and Morgana smashed together. He was wild and uncontrolled as well as dangerous. They weren’t comforting. They weren’t full of wonder. They were dark. This one man had now tainted what once was Arthur’s association with good.

By the time the smoke cleared, Arthur was able to see Uther. Except, Uther was no longer like his old self. Instead, Uther was now an old and decrepit man. He looked to be even older than Gaius. His skin withered and papery, his eyes sunken and his bones fragile. Uther cried out and fell to the ground, no longer able to hold up the sword.

"What did you do to him?" Leon asked. Percival, now recovering from the crystal, rushed forward with Leon and helped position Uther so he was more comfortable. The king coughed weakly and looked thoroughly confused at what was going on.

"I merely turned him old. See, Arthur, now he'll die of old age and not violently." Ulric smiled sweetly. Arthur felt his rage begin to boil once again. He would not allow this man to succeed. Ulric was going to die if it was the last thing Arthur managed to do. Uther would be avenged. The people of Camelot would be avenged. Merlin would be avenged.

oOoOoOo

Lancelot made his way through the castle. What few people that were out and conscious did not pay him any attention. They were too focused on trying to put the castle back together than worry about a man convicted of sorcery and set to die. That was just fine for Lancelot. He didn’t need to be dragged down to the dungeons again and blamed for this incident. There were more important things to worry about. The biggest being why Ulric was down in the dungeons. Lancelot didn’t remember him coming down and he didn’t remember being told that there was another prisoner. Something didn’t sit right with how the man was smiling as well, like someone who had been triumphant in battle. Maybe he was. Maybe this was Ulric’s way to bring down Camelot. 

Lancelot came to the hall the throne room was located in and gasped. Bodies were piled through the halls. Men, women, and- oh God- even children were lining the floors. Some eyes were opened, glazed over and frozen with fear, never again being able to take a single breath. Some looked as though they had put up a fight, defensive wounds covering their bodies. Lancelot knelt down next to a woman. She was young, only about Gwen’s age. He had seen the two women talking the hall before. His gently closed her eyes before standing back up. His feet continued to carry him towards the room. The blood was sticking to the bottom of his boots, soaking through the material. He clenched his jaw and started running to the doors. Ulric was in there. Ulric was in the room and he would pay for the destruction he had caused. Lancelot unsheathed his sword and burst through the door.

"Sire!" he called before feeling a bolt of energy hit his chest. Lancelot was thrown against the wall. The stone hit his body, causing waves of shock and pain to roll through his body. Lancelot gave a shout and fell to the ground. His head was wringing and he was numbly aware of the blood that was starting to pool around him.

“Where’s it coming from?” he thought to himself. His eyes began to slip close, but he could still hear a muffled cry from somewhere in the room.

"What an irritating knight," Ulric drawled. The gold had already disappeared from his eyes. 

"Lancelot!” Elyan cried, running to his friend's side. Embedded in his side was a knife. Elyan looked over to see Ulric put away two other knives. Gaius was also quickly by Lancelot's side, checking over the knight to see what he could do. 

“It’s too dangerous to do the operation here," he said. 

"But he's losing a lot of blood," Elyan replied. Lancelot came back to his sense as he was rolled over, a wave of pain snapping him out of his dreams. 

"I guess you know about Ulric then?" Lancelot laughed. He should have taken the time to plan this better. He was not Gwaine. He should have never rushed in without at least some sort of idea as to what he was going to do. "Is Merlin okay?" he asked. Elyan looked back at Arthur. Arthur’s eyes dropped to the floor and refused to look at Lancelot. Ulric laughed, the noise echoing around the castle, bouncing off the walls and causing the entire population of Camelot to shudder with fear. 

"No way. That boy is dead," he said, still shaking with laughter. 

"You better be lying. If you did-" Lancelot growled. He was probably not being very threatening at the moment, with him bleeding and all. But he still felt it was necessary to threaten Ulric. 

"You'll what? I'm an all-powerful sorcerer, the most powerful sorcerer to walk the earth. I dragged that boy down to the dungeons and trapped him there. He may not be dead yet. But give it a few hours. I wonder if he's scared of the dark," Ulric laughed. Lancelot growled again. That’s what Ulric was doing down in the dungeons. 

"You bastard, I'll kill you!" Percival said, leaping away from the king. Leon quickly tugged him back down. 

"We can't fight this one, he's too powerful and I doubt our swords will even make a mark on him,” he explained. Percival allowed himself to be pulled to the ground, but continued to glare at Ulric with all his might. Ulric smiled and turned towards Arthur. Arthur still had his head bent, his face being hidden with his hair. His shoulders were shaking and the sword was loosely held in his hand. Lancelot wondered if Arthur was angry or crying. The knowledge that Merlin was really gone made every knight feel a rush of both emotions.

"Arthur, don't you see what this is. I'm just helping destiny along," Ulric said with a smile. Arthur’s hand tightened around the sword and his head snapped up. His eyes were narrowed and his jaw was clenched. He raised his sword and moved so that he was in front of Lancelot. It was a very controlled anger that was coursing through Arthur’s veins at the moment. The kind of anger where you knew exactly what was seeping through. But underneath this control lay a dangerous beast. Arthur would unleash it and the ferocity of his emotions would tear Ulric to shreds. Gaius was working hard to try and heal the wound, but Arthur knew that without proper treatment, Lancelot more than likely wouldn't last. 

"Let Lancelot and Gaius leave so that he can be healed," Arthur said, ignoring the whole destiny speech Ulric seemed intent on giving. Ulric's smile widened. 

"Arthur, don't you see. We were meant to find each other. My father always said that I was destined for great things, unlike the rest of my family," Ulric spat. Arthur felt bad for this man’s family. It sounded as if they were much better people than Ulric. Arthur wanted to release his rage on Ulric, to slice him to bits with his sword. But right now, what was important was ensuring no more innocent blood was spilled. That was his duty as prince. Besides, once he gained Ulric’s trust he could torture him into submission and then burn him at the stake for hurting Merlin. 

"If I agree to help you, will you lift the curse on my father and allow Lancelot to be healed?" Arthur asked. 

"Arthur, do not make deals with this man. He's mad, and evil," Uther rasped. Arthur winced at his voice. It was so weak, like dust. Leon held him down on the ground to attempt him to stop getting up. 

"Father, right now we have no choice. We either die right here, or we live another day. I am trying what's best for this kingdom. If I am in charge, then I might be able to minimize the amount of casualties," Arthur explained. 

"Do you not care about Merlin?" Percival shouted. The words pierced Arthur’s heart. He fought down his emotions once again. 

"If he is dead, there's nothing we can do about it!" Arthur snapped back. He wanted to drop to his knees and cry. He wanted to tell Percival that yes he did care about Merlin. He cared about Merlin more than he had any right to. He wanted to tell Percival that he was planning on killing Ulric in the most painful ways possible. He wanted to be angry and sad and mourn for the loss of the child. He wanted to turn Ulrich into an example. No one messed with Merlin. He was wiling to forgo all of his morals if it meant that Ulrich got the most painful death possible. But right now was not the time. Percival bit his lip and glared down at the ground. He didn't say another word.   
First, though, he needed to gain Ulric's trust. Ulric's smile widened even more. 

"I knew the once and future king couldn't resist his other half," Ulric said. Arthur lowered his sword. Did Ulric know about Merlin? 

"What do you mean?" he asked. His heart started beating harder. If Ulric knew about Merlin, then he might have a bargaining chip. Maybe he would tell Uther that Merlin had possessed Arthur. No, that couldn’t be right. Something was off about this whole thing. 

"I knew that when we meant, there would be a spark. You see, Arthur, you may not realize, but you are destined for great things. You are destined to be a great leader. But a great leader needs a great advisor," Ulric continued. 

"What are you getting on about?" Leon asked. He knew that Merlin was supposed to be Arthur's advisor, but something wasn't right about the way Ulric was describing him. Ulric patted Leon on the head and waltzed over to the throne. He plopped down on the seat and gently placed his hands on the armrests. 

"Don't you see, gentlemen, I, the greatest sorcerer to walk the earth, am Arthur's advisor. I am Emrys.”


	16. Chapter 16

“I am Emrys.” The words echoed around the room. As soon as they had left Ulric’s mouth, the room went quiet. Everyone’s breathing had stopped. The noises outside had stopped. Even Lancelot’s groans had stopped. The words bounced around the room for a bit, each time reverberating into Arthur’s very being. Finally, the final syllable died and the words were no more. But in their place a stifling silence continued to lay over the knights. Arthur could hear a high-pitched buzz in place of words, in place of breath, in place of life. Slowly, the words made a connection in Arthur’s mind: Ulric believed he was Emrys. 

Arthur heard the clang of a sword. He was distantly aware that one of his knights had dropped their swords in shock. Arthur was rather surprised that his didn’t fly out of his hand as well. He wouldn’t have blamed his muscles from loosing all coordination since his brain didn’t seem to be working at the moment. Arthur opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to find the right words. But what response can you have for a mad man? What can you say to a person who lives in a fantasy? Finally, the words came.

"What did you say?" he asked. His words didn’t echo around the chamber as Ulric’s had. They were spoken, barely above a whisper. The words were almost stuck on Arthur’s tongue as he spit them out. There was no way Ulric could believe he was the most powerful sorcerer to walk the earth. There was no way. And yet, here they were. 

"You heard me. I am Emrys. I know how much you distrust magic. But trust me, young Pendragon. Together, we can lead Albion into a new age, into a new light! Just think about the possibilities. With your leadership and my power, we can crush our enemies and make the world bow at our feet!” Ulric said. He started laughing, a dark and cold laughter that sent shivers up Arthur’s spine. This wasn’t right. Ulrich wasn’t right. Merlin was Emrys, the dragon had said so. While he didn’t trust the dragon completely, there was no doubt that the kid had power, he had potential. But, if Ulric really succeeded in killing Merlin, then was it possible that he assumed the roll. Could it be that Merlin was never Emrys to begin with? But Emrys was supposed to be good. The embodiment of magic, yes, but good nonetheless. Ulric was not a good person. He couldn’t be Emrys. He couldn’t be the one to lead Albion out of the dark and into the light. This man would only cause the world more pain and suffering. 

"Oh, my king, believe me when I say changes will be made. After all, Albion will not wait forever. Let’s get started.” Ulric grinned. 

oOoOoOo

The earth had stopped shaking for a while now. However here, in the dark, Merlin was still having problems doing something as simple as moving. At first he was afraid to move to far. What if he got stuck in a hole and never got back out? This place was dark and scary and Merlin didn’t like being trapped in here. That’s why he finally had to start moving. He wanted to get out of here. The red crystal he had touched was still hurting him. The hand that had held it was probably burned. It felt like it had been burned. And, to make matter worse, Merlin was bruised and sore from fighting and having his strength drained. Merlin managed to get up to his hands and knees, crawling blindly around until he felt a large wall of rocks. 

He put his hand to the rocks and immediately some began to fall on him. They weren’t very large, but they still hurt at they rained on his head. Merlin felt tears running down his face. His nose was runny too. He didn’t like the dark. And he didn’t like being alone. 

“a-æbære,” Merlin whispered softly, trying to get the rocks to move. He felt his magic surge up, but nothing came to help him. “æbære!” he said more forcefully this time. His head felt as though someone had stuffed a load of cotton swabs, it was all fuzzy and hard to think. This time, though, the rocks shifted just a tab, not enough to let Merlin out. Merlin leaned against a wall and continued to cry. He didn’t want to die here. He didn’t want to be in here. He wanted to be out with Arthur, learning how to ride horses with Morgana and Gwen. He wanted to be playing knights with Lancelot and Gwaine. He wanted to be reading stories with Leon and Percival. He wanted to help Gaius crush herbs and Elyan repair armor. He wanted to be anywhere but here. Then, Merlin thought he heard rocks being scraped out of the way. He scrambled forward to the wall of rocks once more. 

"Arthur?" Merlin called out, hoping that the prince was just on the other side of the wall, digging him out. He placed a hand on the rocks and tried to push them out of the way, helping the others dig him out. "Gwaine?" No one answered. Merlin pushed harder. "Percival, Leon, Elyan? Lancelot?" No one was there. Merlin let his hands slide from the stones and sank back onto the floor. There was no one there. There was no one to save him. And he couldn’t save himself. He wasn’t strong enough. Wasn't he supposed to be the greatest sorcerer ever? Well, he didn't feel great at the moment. Merlin raised his hands and tried to think of another spell that could take away the rocks. Even just a small opening that he could squeeze through would be enough. But nothing came. His head was starting to feel less fuzzy, though. Perhaps the spell Ulric had used was finally starting to wear off. 

"Young warlock?" a familiar voice called. Merlin crawled forward and put his ear on the ground. 

"Kilgharrah?" he asked uncertainly. It would be nice if it really was Kilgharrah down there. He wanted a friend right now. 

"What is going up there?" the dragon asked. Merlin shook his head, fresh tears springing to his eyes. 

"I don't know. I was trapped here by the bad man that's here," Merlin whimpered. Kilgharrah sighed. 

"Have you tried getting out using magic?" he asked. Merlin glared at the ground. 

"Of course I did. It won't listen. Nothing's happening!" Merlin cried. He was frustrated, tired, scared, and he just wanted to go back to his room. 

"There, there, youngling," Kilgharrah said in a soothing voice. Merlin didn't expect him to sound so soothing. Kilgharrah always sounded really old, like someone who had lived a thousand years. People who lived for thousands of years wouldn’t be very soothing in Merlin’s opinion. 

"You first need to calm down. The young prince is still alive, as are all the knights," Kilgharrah said. Merlin felt his heart soar with the news. He hadn’t been a complete failure yet. Though, he was still stuck in this cave with no way to get out. 

"Are you sure?" Merlin sniffed. 

"Yes, I am sure. But, if you do not get out, then there may not be any way for Albion to be created," Kilgharrah said. 

"I don't care about Albion. I just want to be with my friends. It's scary here and I don't like it." Merlin wailed. Right now, he could care less Albion. He didn’t really understand what Albion was anyways. He just knew that he and Arthur were going to do it together. However, Kilgharrah seemed to forget that Merlin couldn’t build Albion if Arthur wasn’t there. So, following that logic, Arthur should be more important than some stupid thing that hadn’t even happened yet. Kilgharrah sighed again. 

"Young warlock, I am sorry for upsetting you. However, I do think that the sooner we get you out of there, the more chance you have of stopping Ulric from hurting Arthur or any of your friends," Kilgharrah said calmly. That was great and all, but Merlin still didn’t have a strong enough spell to move all these rocks. 

"Do you know how to get out?" Merlin asked. Maybe Kilgharrah could roar and shake the castle. That would knock some of the rocks loose and Merlin would be able to move them the rest of the way. 

"I can give you a spell, but you have to be the one to activate it. I can not give you any more power or help," Kilgharrah answered. Merlin had hoped Kilgharrah would be able to give him more power. Still, a spell that could move rocks was pretty cool. Maybe he could use it to blow up the sides of castles! That would be awesome!

"I'll try my best," Merlin said, feeling braver than before. He didn’t want Arthur to know that he cried here in the cave. Arthur said he was brave, so Merlin had to be brave. He wasn’t going to let a scary man hurt his friends. 

"Close your eyes and open your mind." Merlin nodded and let his little light go out. He felt a tingling sensation in the back of his brain, it was like something was trying to work it's way in. Merlin smiled and allowed himself to be coaxed by the small tendril of Kilgharrah's magic that was currently working into his brain. He felt a rush of knowledge enter his mind. 

Merlin opened his eyes and shouted "geopenian!" not even waiting for his magic to die down. A large explosion happened and the rocks were blasted from their place. Merlin smiled and let out a whoop of joy upon seeing the cavern that he had originally came through. 

"I am proud of you, young warlock. You did well," Kilgharrah said. Merlin smiled. 

"Thanks Kilgharrah, I'll be sure to help defeat Ulric. Don't you worry," Merlin said before turning and running off down the hall. He wasn't entirely sure where Ulric would be at. Maybe he should check the throne room. He heard that Uther and Arthur were in there a lot, doing royal things. He was never allowed in the meetings though. But maybe he might after he helped save Camelot! Maybe he would become Court Sorcerer sooner! He heard a familiar howling in the distance. 

"Rowena can help!!" Merlin said before taking off towards the woods. This time, Rowena was sitting gin the middle of the courtyard; no one was paying her any attention. They were all running around, trying to repair some damage that had happened to the castle. 

"My youngling?" she asked uncertainly, walking up closer and looking at the numerous bruises and scrapes that Merlin had acquired. "Who did this to you?" she growled. Merlin hugged Rowena's neck. He was happy to see her again. 

"Can you do something for me, Rowena?" Merlin said. 

"Anything, pup," she said softly. 

"I need you to find Gwaine. I need his help," Merlin said. Rowena pulled back and nuzzled Merlin's cheek. 

"I will return with him swiftly. Then, I will hurt the one who hurt you," Rowena growled before setting off to find Gwaine. Merlin wanted to call after Rowena and tell her that he was already helping defeat Ulric, but decided better of it. He had a job to do. Merlin turned and ran back into the palace. He found the throne room where his magic was pulling on him. He stopped dead in his tracks upon seeing the bodies piled up on the floor. Merlin stumbled back, slipping on the pool of blood that had collected. Merlin’s eyes wouldn’t leave the sight of the bodies, piled on the floor. It was like it had cast a spell on him. All at once, Merlin turned to the side and threw up, the stench getting too much for him. Merlin turned back and saw that the door was just behind the bodies. He stood up shakily, closed his eyes and ran to the doors, trying to ignore the dead that lay at his feet. He pushed open the doors and rushed in. 

"Arthur!" he cried. 

"No, Merlin," Arthur shouted. Merlin wondered what had happened before he felt himself being flung to the side. Merlin hit the ground with a crack and looked to see Elyan being thrown into a wall, an ugly burn decorated his chest. Merlin's eyes widened and he turned to see Ulric standing there, his eyes alight with fury.   
"What an annoying little boy," he growled. He drew his hand back to throw another fireball at Merlin when Arthur leapt in front of him, gathering him in his arms and shielding him from Ulric’s flames. 

"You will not harm anyone else, Emrys," Arthur growled. Merlin was confused. Wasn't he Emrys? That was what everyone always said. Ulric smiled and lowered his hand. 

"As you wish, my king.”

oOoOoOo

Gwaine continued to hum a merry tune as he continued down the road. If he kept this pace, he would be there by nightfall. Then, he could sneak into the castle and keep tabs on Ulric. He saw the white towers in the distance. There didn’t appear to be any damage to them, so Gwaine assumed things were going all right. He wondered if Merlin missed him. He pulled out that ugly pendant and smiled. No one had ever put so much thought into a gift for him before. Well, maybe his younger brother, but that was old news, something that Gwaine didn’t want to think about anymore. It was bad enough that Ulrich was there, dragging up horrible memories. He heard a rustling in the bushes and turned, sword at the ready. 

"Who's there?" he asked. Then, a white animal leapt from the bushes and grabbed Gwaine's arm. Gwaine was about to raise his arm when the beast looked into his eyes. Those silver eyes were recognizable anywhere. It was Rowena. 

"We don't have much time. Hang on tight," She said. 

"You can talk!" Gwaine gasped. 

"Only when I am in contact with your body and only for a short amount of time," she explained. 

"What happened?”

"I do not know. What I do know is that the more time we waste here, the more damage will be done to Camelot," she said. Gwaine nodded and Rowena let go of his arm. He grasped the beast's hair and closed his eyes. The ground left from underneath his feet and Gwaine was carried off to the castle.


	17. Chapter 17

The wind whipped through Gwaine’s hair as he and the wolf bounded through the forest. Though, bounded wasn’t a good word for the running Rowena was doing. She wasn’t running through the forest, she was flying. Gwaine wouldn’t be surprised if her feet never touched the ground from the way they were zipping through the trees. When Rowena had first suggested Gwaine grab onto her, he had been afraid that he was too heavy for the wolf. But, Rowena quickly proved him wrong. To her, Gwaine probably felt only a little heavier than a fly. A nuisance, but not one that would slow her down. 

The few times Gwaine dared to open his eyes, he squeezed them shut almost immediately, feeling sick from the view he was given. Trees shooting at the pair, drawing closer before appearing to jump out of their way in an effort not to be hit. Rowena wasn’t running with the turn of the Earth, she was turning the Earth, making the world spin to her beat. Forcing it to comply with her wishes to arrive back at the citadel as quickly as possible. 

Gwaine wanted to know how Rowena did it, what spell she used to travel so many leagues. But each time he opened his mouth the breath was stolen from his lungs. It was torn out of his body, dissipating into the air along with the tears that continued to leak from his eyes. But soon enough, the Earth returned to its normal rotation. The trees no longer flew at them. Rowena’s paws began to hit the ground with a pace similar to that of Gwaine’s heart. Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Thump, thump. The cycle repeated itself. Though, they were in opposition with one another. For every second Rowena slowed down, Gwaine’s heart sped up. 

“Please be alright,” Gwaine whispered as Rowena slowed to little more than a trot. His heart was beating so hard, he feared it would leap from his chest, running towards the little boy who was in danger, who was scared. Gwaine started to feel himself shift more, Rowena’s magic no longer keeping him balanced on her back. He looked up to see the citadel, rising over the trees. But it was different than when he had last seen it. The white towers that once stood proudly against the sky were now in ruins, collapsing in on themselves and stained grey. The smoke rose from them, oscillating between large, billowing towers of black and small, delicate wisps of silver. Gwaine felt his jaw drop. His ears began to ring with the screams that were no doubt echoing around the castle, around the town. 

“We have to hurry. If this is what the castle is like, then Merlin’s probably in a lot of danger!” Gwaine cried, wondering why Rowena had stopped so soon. Why hadn’t she kept up the pace all the way through the castle? Why had she slowed down now? Was it to make Gwaine see the destruction before taking off again? They could have been there by now if Rowena hadn’t stopped to gawk at a ruined tower!

“Patience my pup.” Rowena’s silky voice came floating through Gwaine’s mind. Her words were calming him, centering him. “I had to ensure there was no barrier to prevent my passage. The sorcerer within the castle is erratic, unpredictable. There is on telling what powers he possesses. One wrong move and we could have been killed before we found Merlin,” she continued, her deep, rich voice continuing to act as an anchor for Gwaine’s mind. Sure enough, as soon as the words were spoken, her feet began to beat against the ground once more until they no longer needed to touch it. Until they were flying again. 

Gwaine squeezed his eyes shut, letting the wind cut his cheeks and pierce his body. Inside, his thoughts were raging, switching between worry eating away at his stomach, and anger boiling in his veins. If Merlin was hurt in any way, Gwaine knew that two things were going to happen. First, Gwaine would personally ensure Ulric would never live to see another day. He would hurt the man one thousand times worse than he hurt Merlin. He would ensure that with every injury dealt to Ulric’s body, he would know that no one, no one, was allowed to mess with Merlin. No one was allowed to lay a hand on Merlin. 

Gwaine also knew that if Merlin were hurt, he would never be able to forgive himself. The child was so innocent, and to have the violently ripped away from him because Gwaine couldn’t keep him safe, just the thought made his gut twist and knot itself. Merlin had been through so much. He had endured too much. And Gwaine had sworn when he saw Merlin’s small form lying still as death on that bed that he would do everything in his power to keep him safe.

But what had he done? He had run away. He ran away from his past, leaving that boy at the hands of a monster, someone he knew for sure was a monster. And now, Merlin would pay the price for Gwaine’s cowardice. 

Gwaine thought the he cared a great deal for Merlin. He thought he had finally found something worth protecting, something he would remain loyal to for the rest of his life. He was loyal to Camelot, no doubt about it. But it was more in the sense that he wanted to see it grow to become a wonderful kingdom. He was sure that only Arthur could make that happen. He cared for his friends, would die for them. But Merlin was so much more. 

Gwaine was willing to walk through all the levels of hell and back just to keep Merlin safe, to see him smile. He would fight demons and topple gods if they posed a threat to that kid. He loved Merlin more than he ever thought possible. More than anyone ever thought possible. But while Gwaine may seem like nothing more than a playful drunk, he was passionate beyond all compare. Once an emotion was lit inside him, it would burst into an uncontrollable fire, spilling out of every pore as he let the world know exactly what he was feeling. 

“Sir Gwaine, we are nearly there,” Rowena spoke once more. “I will not be able to communicate with you much longer. The spell is wearing thin. Even now it is hard for me to talk with you.” Gwaine patted the side of her neck the best he could while ensuring he didn’t fall off.

“That’s okay. I just want to find Ulric and make him pay for what he’s done,” Gwaine said, meaning every word of it. Rowena growled in response. Though he couldn’t see her eyes, Gwaine was sure they were alight with a fiery passion, feeling every bit as enraged at Gwaine. 

Finally, they skidded to a stop outside the throne room. Gwaine got to his feet before recoiling at the sight of all the bodies piled outside.

“This was a massacre,” Rowena growled. Her teeth were bared, fangs dripping with saliva, ears pulled back, contorting her once regal and beautiful face into something to fear. Gwaine nodded and carefully stepped over the bodies. He did not want to be disrespectful to those who had died because he was unable to be the brave knight Camelot needed.

At 16, he was an idiot, a fool who thought himself unbeatable. At 18, he was a coward, not returning to finish what he started. But now, now he was something more. He was a fighter. He was a knight. And he cared about Merlin enough to know that he would never allow Ulric to hurt another person again. He would never allow himself to once more run from his duty to restore balance to the world. 

The smoke from the destroyed building was starting to clog Gwaine’s senses. His eyes were watering and it was hard to breath. A booming laugh reverberated off the walls, running down the corridors and letting all know who was in the room. Gwaine felt himself tense. He had hoped to never hear that laugh again. He had hoped that he could live his life, only remembering it in his nightmares. But this wasn’t a dream. This was a chance to make things right. 

Gwaine took a deep breath and turned to look down at the wolf. "How about we make this bastard pay for hurting Merlin, eh?" he asked. Rowena looked up at him, her eyes glinting with amusement. Gwaine had a feeling she would like nothing better than to tear Ulric apart with her own teeth. 

He pushed open the doors and quickly pulled his sword. The laughter stopped as soon as the doors were forced open, the wood cracking against the wall. Ulric was where Gwaine expected him to be, perched on the throne as if he had already won. Gwaine felt a rush of air and looked to see Rowena by Lancelot, licking his wounds. Gwaine tried not to notice how pale Lancelot had become. He shifted his attention, seeking Merlin out. He let out a sigh of relief upon seeing the child. He was next to Arthur, the man’s arm wrapped tightly around Merlin’s shoulders, shielding him from Ulric. The boy looked scraped, pale, and scared beyond measure. But he was alive, and that was all Gwaine wanted.

Next to him, Elyan lay on the ground. He was gasping for air, his chest expanding painfully to draw in the next breath. So Gwaine had let two of his friends needlessly suffer. He had two people who, should their lives be lost, he was responsible for. He didn’t like this feeling. 

Gwaine shifted his eyes once more, seeing Leon and Percival standing next to an old man. Gwaine wondered who he was and why he was there. He didn’t look like any of the council members. He also didn’t look like he was going to last for much longer. One good gust of wind would probably cause the old man to break a hip. Ulric started laughing.

“Oh my! I can’t believe my eyes!” he said, gasping for air as he doubled over, falling off the throne. “I thought for sure you would have died by now, little brother! I thought you would have been mugged and left for dead! How are you here?” Ulric laughed, starting to gasp for air, but refusing to cease his cackling. “I haven’t, I haven’t seen you since you were 16! What are you doing here?” he gasped, finally started to calm down.

“Wait, little brother?” Percival said, stepping forward. Gwaine paid him no heed. Now, Ulric was important. Gwaine raised his sword, pointing it straight at the demon that ruined his life.

“I am here to end you Ulric. Like I should have done the last time I saw you,” Gwaine growled. Ulric’s face lit up even more.

“Well you were such a coward the first time. All weak and scrawny. It was probably a good thing those servants drugged you and smuggled you out of the castle. I wouldn’t have gone easy on you just because you’re family,” Ulric said, showing off his teeth.

“What do you mean?” Arthur asked, pulling Merlin in tighter. “Gwaine, what is going on?” Ulric turned to Arthur and smile.

“Well, my dear king, this idiot you see in front of me is my little brother. Well, half-brother would be more accurate,” Ulric said, looking fondly at Arthur. It made a shiver run up Gwaine’s spine. What was Ulric’s game? Why hadn’t he killed anyone yet? 

“What do you mean, half-brother?” Arthur growled. Ulric slicked back his hair and began to pace around the room.

“Well, you see, my birth mother wasn’t strong enough to carry on the family lineage,” Ulric began. 

“What does that mean?” Leon said, starting to maneuver so he was in front of the old man.

“It means she died in child-birth. Our father was always obsessed with creating the perfect family. A family strong enough to survive anything. If you didn’t fit his image, you were gone,” Gwaine snarled. 

“That’s horrible. What kind of man doesn’t mourn his wife after she’s died?” Percival gasped. 

“It’s just the facts of life. People die. My father needed strong people to continue our dynasty, to create a bloodline that would outlast kings. He wanted to create something that could take down gods! And that was me, Emrys!” Ulric said beginning to laugh once more.

“You’re mad,” Arthur said shaking his head. Merlin had shifted so that he was now clutching onto Arthur’s tunic, shaking so badly Gwaine wondered how he was still standing. Arthur was probably holding up the boy.

“No! I am all-powerful. I am immortal. You and I, my liege, together we will create a kingdom that will be everlasting!” Ulric cried. 

“I don’t want to live under any man who’s killed children for the hell of it,” Gwaine snarled lunging forward. His sword thrust in front of him, prepared to cut Ulric down. Ulric pulled out his sword and brought it down on Gwaine’s, blocking the attack. 

“I needed to thin the herd. Your mother and brother were weak. The boy was always sick. He had to die eventually. I chose to do it in a humane way,” Ulric snarled. He pushed Gwaine’s sword off of his. Gwaine stumbled back a few steps but quickly recovered, lunging forward and catching Ulric’s left arm with his blade. The cut wasn’t deep, but it was enough to startle Ulric.

“I say, you are much better than you were at 16. I thought you might be able to help me rule. I should have known better. I should have known how weak you are. You are not worthy to carry our father’s blood in your veins. You are not worthy to call him father,” Ulric snarled, advancing on Gwaine once more. Gwaine blocked the strikes with relative ease.

“I wish to have no part in sharing your cursed and wicked lineage,” Gwaine snapped. 

"Why don't you use your magic," Gwaine snarled. The two continued to fight. Each strike met with a powerful block. Gwaine was cut across the chest, his shirt and skin split open from the blade. Ulric sustained more cuts as well. Leon and Percival were helping the old man out. Arthur had started dragging Elyan out of the way, ensuring Gwaine or Ulric wouldn’t trip on him and further harm him. 

It was during one of the strikes that Gwaine noticed what had happened with Elyan. There was an ugly burn painted on his chest. The skin blackened and blistered from the fire that had struck him. It sickened Gwaine, almost made him lose. But Gwaine held fast, matching Ulric’s skill.

“If you’re so powerful, then why don’t you use your magic?” Gwaine snarled. His wrists were hurting, straining under the numerous blocks Ulric had delivered.  
“Because, dear brother, I want to make this at least a little fair for you,” he said, panting with exertion. Gwaine smirked.

“You’re not Emrys. You aren’t even that powerful!” he cried, lunging forward once more. 

oOoOoOo

Merlin watched the battle raging before his eyes. Arthur had put him in a corner and told him not to move, he didn’t want to get in Gwaine’s way and cause him to get hurt. Merlin sucked in a breath as Gwaine managed to block another of Ulric’s blows. He was scared. He wanted this to end. Merlin looked to Lancelot. Gaius and Rowena were both there, trying their best to keep him alive. But Merlin could help. Merlin was always able to make the pain go away. 

So, he crawled quickly over to Gaius and Rowena.

“Merlin, you need to get out of here. It’s too dangerous!” Gaius gasped, his hands covered in blood. Merlin shook his head.  
“Lancelot needs help. I can help,” he said quietly. 

“My pup, you always were a stubborn one,” Rowena said, nuzzling Merlin’s temple. Merlin leaned into it and centered himself, blocking out Gwaine and Ulric. He could heal Lancelot, he just needed his magic to listen to him. Feeling it thrumming through his veins, Merlin allowed his eyes to open. They flashed gold and a bright light engulfed the room. Merlin felt the magic pouring out of him, healing Lancelot, de-aging Uther, bringing Elyan back from the grave. He allowed it to caress all those who had been injured by this evil man fighting with his friends. He allowed it to end this battle once and for all.

oOoOoOo

Gwaine knew what was happening probably before anyone else did. He saw Merlin’s magic beginning to pour out of the small child. He saw a light begin to fill the room. Ulric cried out, covering his eyes, attempting to shield the bright light. Gwaine took his chance. He squeezed his eyes shut and lunged at where Ulric was last standing. Sure enough, Gwaine felt the blade pierce flesh. 

He opened his eyes as the light began to dim. He saw his blade, sticking out of Ulric’s chest. The man’s eyes were wide with confusion and a little fear. He was staring down at the blade, unsure if what was happening was real or not. He looked up at Gwaine, blood beginning to dribble out of his mouth.

“Impossible,” he panted. Gwaine let his hands drop from the blade. Without him holding the sword, Ulric fell to his knees. Gwaine watched as he collapsed forward, pushing the sword further into his torso. 

He turned to see Merlin collapsed on top of Lancelot, looking so much paler than before, if that was even possible. The others seemed to be in good shape, though the old man had disappeared and was now replaced with Uther. 

Gwaine stepped back from Ulric’s body and ran a hand through his hair. It was because of him that all this happened. It was because of him that Merlin was hurt and scared. Now, the child lay on Lancelot, sleeping, unconscious due to the amount of power he was forced to use. Ulric may have been dead, but Gwaine was still a failure. Arthur should have never knighted him.


	18. Chapter 18

Lancelot was sure he would never see Merlin’s smiling face again. The knife was too deep, there was too much blood, and Ulric was too insane. He was dying, fading fast. Lancelot tried to hold on, he tried to fight for those he had loved and those he had lost. He didn’t want to be a failure to any of them. But the pain, oh the pain was blinding him. It was making it impossible for him to form a sentence and think straight, the words muddled in his brain and heavy on his tongue. In his final moments, Lancelot saw a bright light and the pain began the recede.

~This must be my end. The Lord has finally decided to take my soul. I only wish I fought harder.~ Lancelot thought to himself. His eyes slipped closed, mostly out of necessity. The light was so blinding that it hurt to keep them open a second longer. Then, he succumbed to the darkness that had been calling him since he was shot. The darkness that offered a way out, the darkness that gave him a chance to escape the pain of his life.

Except, the next time Lancelot was aware, he was not dead. He couldn’t be. There was a dull throbbing in his abdomen, each pulse bringing a new wave of pain. Lancelot had assumed death would be more peaceful. There was always the chance he had ended up in Hell, but shouldn’t that be more painful than what he was feeling now? 

And then there was the heaviness that was draped over him. It wasn’t like Lancelot’s body was heavy, though it did feel that way. This was more like an incredibly heavy blanket had been piled on him. Lancelot shifted, his wound straining to break open, causing him to groan. 

“Lancelot, can you hear me, my boy?” a familiar voice asked. 

“Gaius?” he slurred, struggling to open his eyes. A hand pressed lightly on his shoulder.

“Take your time, don’t rush yourself. You were very close to death. In fact, there were a few times I didn’t think you would make it, even with Rowena and Merlin’s help,” Gaius explained. Lancelot finally managed to peel his eyes apart. His tongue felt sticky in his mouth. His head pounded, causing him to wince. But Lancelot refused to go back to sleep, he refused to stay in the darkness. There was a soft snuffle beneath his chin. 

“What?” Lancelot asked, looking down to see Merlin sprawled over his chest. Lancelot reached down and brushed some hair off the child’s forehead. “Merlin?” he whispered, not sure if he should wake the child. Gaius helped him into a sitting position. Lancelot’s arm, though shaky, wrapped itself around the boy’s body to support him and to keep him from waking. Merlin’s face was fuller, brighter, healthier. It was amazing how just a few short months could make a child so much better than before. Lancelot wasn’t sure he could carry Merlin around like he used to, now that he had put on some weight. Lancelot smiled fondly at the boy. Merlin was safe.

Gaius cleared his throat and pushed a glass of water into Lancelot’s hands.

“You are still recovering. You need to rest, so after I get some food in you, you’re going back to sleep,” Gaius commanded. Lancelot nodded and let the water dribble down his throat, wetting it, washing away the stickiness that had come about after being asleep for so long. Gaius turned to dish up what appeared to be stew into a small bowl. Lancelot took this chance to get some answers. 

"What happened?" he asked. 

"Well, you've been cleared of all charges against you," Gaius said, too busy cutting bread to see Lancelot smile slightly. 

"I meant with my injury, with Ulric," Lancelot said with a small laugh. With Merlin was left hanging in the air. Thought, the fear in Lancelot’s heart made his stomach turn. He had failed to protect Merlin. What if something truly awful had happened to the child and it was all Lancelot’s fault. Gaius sighed and put the small tray on a table besides Lancelot. He reached over and began to dish the stew into his mouth, careful not to get any of it on Merlin or the bed. 

“Well, after you were shot, Elyan was struck with fire protecting Merlin.” Lancelot vaguely remembered that. “Gwaine then came running in with a wolf and started to fight Ulric. Turns out they were half-brothers. Merlin then released his magic and healed you, Elyan, and Uther. Ulric is dead now, killed by Gwaine,” Gaius explained. Lancelot looked down at the boy who was still asleep. Did Merlin see Gwaine kill Ulric? He knew Merlin had seen violence before, but it was always different when the person doing the killing was someone you looked up to. 

"Is Merlin alright?" Lancelot asked. He cursed his words as they caught in his throat once more. 

“Oh yes, he will be fine. His magic just needs to replenish itself. He’s woken up a few times, but refused to leave you. You gave him quite a scare with that little stunt you pulled, young man,” Gaius scolded. Lancelot laughed, finishing the broth and taking some of the bread. 

“I’m sure I can think of some way to make it up to him.” Lancelot finished the bread in silence, Gaius busy making medicine. “I think I’ll rest now. Tell Arthur I won’t be attending training for a few days.” Lancelot lay down, rearranging Merlin so his elbow wasn’t digging into his side. Gaius patted his arm.

“I’m sure he won’t mind.” 

“Lancelot?” a small voice asked. Lancelot looked down to see Merlin’s eyes opened and staring intently back at him. Lancelot smiled.

“I hear you’re the reason Camelot is safe,” he said quietly. Merlin’s face broke into a toothy grin. 

“Yeah! Do you want to hear about it?” Merlin asked. Lancelot smiled and squeezed Merlin a little tighter.

“I would love to hear about it.” 

oOoOoOo

"I just don't understand how the spell broke," Uther said. He was staring hard out the window, glaring at the bright and sunny day. The rain that had plagued Camelot since Ulric’s death finally stopped. Though only a few short moments ago. Gwen wrapped a blanket around Uther’s shoulders. He was still weak from being aged and deaged in such a short amount of time. Gwen looked towards Leon and Arthur, some fear in her eyes. Arthur gave Gwen a reassuring smile, causing the girl to blush and fumble with the blanket. 

"I saw the light and then Ulric died," Uther said. His hands waved in the air, in some weird attempt to make it look as though he were doing magic. Leon stepped forward. He really should not be so comfortable lying to the king. But here he was, yet again with another excuse that anyone could see through if they decided to look into it more. Thankfully, when it came to magic, Uther was generally okay with just leaving things be so long as someone shouldered the blame. 

"Sire, all we have is speculation since the man died. However, I don't think Ulric had good control over his magic. It was sloppy and more or less a one-trick show. He really only managed to do three things, shoot fire at Sir Elyan, cause an earthquake, and turn you old. It's quite possible that he was unable to hold the spell over you and therefore it broke. Gaius said that aging spells are often tricky in the sense that you never know exactly what is going to happen," Leon explained. Uther nodded. His face contorted into one of disgust. 

"And are we sure the sorcerer is dead?" he spat. Arthur stepped forward. Normally, his fathers hate caused Arthur’s own to boil in his blood. The idea that his father condemned an entire group of people for his mistakes would never sit well with Arthur. But this time, with this man, Arthur felt the same loathing for Ulric, but probably for different reasons. Uther hated him because he was a sorcerer and he attacked Camelot. Arthur hated him because he didn’t just attack Camelot; he also hurt the ones Arthur held dear. 

"His body has been burned and the remains have been locked in the vaults. He won't be coming back." Arthur may have gone overboard with ensuring Ulric was dead, but he told him men to get rid of the body with extreme malice and to ensure there was no way this man could ever walk the Earth again. Uther nodded. 

"Good, and what of the people under his command. I'm sure they are more than happy of his death. " 

"Yes, father. Sir Robin and Sir Galahad both traveled there to announce the news. The people were overjoyed. Apparently he had been a tyrant to them for years. Both Ulric and Godric. The way those people worked, I've seen slaves treated better, " Arthur spat. Gwen looked horrified, not having known until now what conditions those people were in. Arthur left out the part where Morgana managed to make the crops bloom with extra food so that the people could finally have a meal to eat. He also left out the fact that Morgana had tried several times to sneak out so she could visit the people and help end their suffering. It was only through Leon’s persuasion that Merlin might need her that she finally gave into staying. Honestly, sometimes Morgana was more difficult to deal with than Merlin. 

"How could we not have known about this?" Uther demanded, massaging his brow. “How could this have stayed a secret for so long?” 

"As far as we can tell, Gwaine was the only one who managed to leave. And, up until Ulric's death, he hasn't met the man. It is possible that he was unaware the extent of how people were treated. He grew up in a castle, sheltered from the outside world. He may have thought they were under better working conditions than what was actually going on," Leon said. “He may have also feared Ulric and what he would do should he discover Gwaine. Besides, Gwaine was masquerading as a peasant, getting anyone to listen to him would have taken a lot more evidence than just his word. There was simply too much working against us to stop this before now.” Uther sighed and slumped back in his chair. 

"Ensure that Camelot helps the people in anyway possible. Their grain will be invaluable to our stores, but I first want to reconfigure the feudal system there. I will not have my subjects needlessly suffering," Uther said. Arthur and Leon bowed and turned to leave the room. Once the door shut behind him, Leon’s turned towards Arthur.

"Gwaine has been actually acting weird lately," Leon whispered. Arthur knew this was going to come up eventually. He had hoped Gwaine would snap out of whatever was making him act this way eventually. But Leon apparently thought that this needed to happen sooner rather than later. 

"I'm not sure what is going on, but I think we need to talk to him. I think he blames himself for the destruction," Arthur said. "I'm actually going there now. Hopefully, I'll be able to talk some sense into the man. I would hate to lose a good knight over this incident," Arthur continued. Though it wasn’t just “an incident”. Gwaine not telling Arthur the truth about Ulric had led to many deaths of innocent people. And it had almost led to the death of Merlin. There may not be any way to restore Gwaine’s faith in himself. 

"I with you the best of luck, my friend," Leon said before heading in the opposite direction. Arthur made his way to Gwaine's chambers and knocked on the door. 

"Gwaine, it's me. Can I come in?" Arthur called. 

"Yeah, princess, you can come in," Gwaine called. Arthur smiled. If Gwaine was insulting them, there was a chance that he wasn't as broken as Arthur thought. There was a chance he had already started to heal from the wounds this ordeal had brought down on them all. Arthur entered the room to see several articles of clothing beings strewn about the room. Gwaine was stuffing some into his bag. 

"You’re leaving?" Arthur asked. Gwaine sat back and smiled at Arthur, a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. There was an excuse on Gwaine’s lips. And Arthur doubted it would make him believe that Gwaine actually wanted this. 

"Yeah, I don't stay anywhere for an extended period of time. You're lucky I stayed this long," Gwaine laughed. 

"I thought you liked it here," Arthur said. Gwaine stuffed some socks into the bag with a little more violence than strictly necessary. 

"I do. But, there are plenty more taverns to drink at, and places to see, maidens to impress," Gwaine said, not facing Arthur. 

"You're running away," Arthur said, staring at Gwaine’s back. He hoped Gwaine could feel his eyes boring into him, demanding a real explanation and not one that Gwaine just threw together. Gwaine threw the shirt he was holding down on the bed. 

"Dammit, Arthur, yes. Alright. I messed up and I can't be here anymore." Gwaine snapped. He whipped around to glare at Arthur. This time the emotion did reach his eyes. Arthur sighed and sank down onto a chair. 

"No one is blaming you Gwaine," he said. “There was a lot going on and—“ 

“And what, sire?! I still ran away. I knew he was evil. I was scared of him and I didn’t warn anyone. And now, now Lancelot and Elyan almost died and Merlin was buried alive! Have you forgotten this?” Gwaine shouted. 

“No, I remember very well what happened. But just because you think you’re a coward doesn’t mean everyone here does. Have you even been to see Merlin yet?” Arthur asked.  
“No. I can’t see him. I am the son of a psychopath. I have that blood running through my veins. What is I become like him?” Gwaine snapped. ~What if I hurt Merlin?~ lingered in the air, unspoken words that held to most amount of fear and loathing. 

"Listen, Gwaine, you may have your father's blood, but you are your mothers son. Not everyone turns out like their parents. And you won't hurt Merlin," Arthur said. Gwaine sank back on the bed. A shirt was clutched in his hands. But Arthur could see that determination to flee slowly leaving his body. 

"What if I do? I can’t risk becoming like them. I will not be the one who hurts Merlin." 

"You won't. Merlin needs you just as much as he needs the rest of us. You can't just abandon him because your scared. Besides, if you do hurt Merlin, there are several knights who are more than willing to torture you," Arthur said, clapping Gwaine's shoulder. “Go and see him, Gwaine. See that he’s not afraid of you and that he needs you. Don’t abandon him.” With that, Arthur was gone. 

Gwaine leaned against a wall, staring at a fly buzzing on the ceiling. He couldn’t abandon Merlin. He wouldn’t be the reason that boy was sad. Gwaine dropped the shirt on his bed before standing and walking out the door.

He turned the corner to see Morgana staring out the window. She seemed lost in thought. Gwaine cleared his throat and stood next to Morgana. Morgana turned and gave him a weak smile. 

"Well, my lady, it looks as though your visions have come true, and look. No one was killed in the process," Gwaine said cheerfully. Morgana gave him a tired smile. 

"I'm glad. hopefully there won't be any more dangerous circumstances for Merlin or Arthur," she said, staring out the window. 

"I'm going to see Merlin now, do you want to come?" Gwaine asked. Morgana shook her head. 

"I'm going to help Gwen distribute some food to those that lost their crops during the earthquake." 

"Alright, I'll tell Merlin you said hi," Gwaine said before walking off. Morgana bit her lip and stared down in the courtyard. 

"Something evil is coming," Morgana whispered. "Something with a heart of stone." 

oOoOoOo

Gwaine knocked on the door to Merlin's room. he heard a crash and winced as the door was flung open. Merlin looked up at Gwaine and smiled. There appeared to be some sort of purple ooze on the top of Merlin’s head. 

"Gwaine!" he said, launching himself into Gwaine's arms. Gwaine thanked his reflexes for being so good as he caught the child and laughed. 

"Merlin, kiddo, how have you been? And what is on your head?" Gwaine asked. Merlin smiled and leaned back to plant a kiss on Gwaine's cheek. 

"It’s some sort of hair care potion! I was helping Gaius make it. Rowena said that you saved Camelot. That's so cool!" Merlin said. Gwaine laughed and sat down on the chair, shifting Merlin so that he was on his lap. Merlin began talking excitedly about how the dragon had given him a really cool spell and how he had used it to save the knights. Gwaine smiled and listened to the child, feeling confident that he could never hurt him. He would never be able to hurt Merlin. He would never be like his father or brother. He would make his mother proud.


	19. Chapter 19

What Drake saw in the distance made him grin from ear to ear. Forget Ulric, that man was an idiot. And what he found was so much more valuable anyways. He wondered how much he would get for this information. Hopefully enough to stay at one of those fancy brothels with good prostitutes. 

It took some effort to convince the pair to meet with him, that Drake was worth their time. But in the end, they couldn’t resist. So that was how Drake found himself standing outside the throne room, rocking from side to side. How much gold would they give him? Hopefully enough to last a lifetime. Drake was getting a bit old for this sort of work anyways. He really should start thinking about retirement. Maybe somewhere warm and sunny, surrounded by beautiful, barely dressed girls. Ah yes, that’s what he wanted. 

The door swung open and Drake stepped inside. The room was large and full of opulence, just like Drake expected from the great King Cenred. He did like to flaunt his status more than most nobles. Aside from the rich, velvet drapes that lay over the curtains, and the floors lined with gold, there were also guards lining every spot along the wall. Drake couldn’t help but snort at the display of power. Like he was really dumb enough to try something with these people.

Once Drake had absorbed his surroundings, he quickly sauntered to the end where a man sat on the throne, a woman perched behind him. Beside the throne was also a small child. Unlike the rest of the room or people, she was dressed in rags and looked like she belonged on the streets rather than in a room like this. Her purple dress was torn beyond repair and she looked as though she hadn’t bathed in some time. She couldn’t be older than ten. Though the thing that caught Drake’s eye was the collar around her neck. Now this did fit the room. It was beautifully crafted with gold, silver, and most importantly, iron. The runes were etched into it, keeping the girl’s magic suppressed until Cenred or Morgause had use for it. It looked rather painful, squeezing and pinching the girl’s neck, restricting her breathing. Drake smirked and turned his eyes to the pair of people who were the key to his everlasting happiness. 

"Drake, I presume?" the man asked. Drake bowed low to the ground. 

"King Cenred, Lady Morgause," he said. 

"What information that do you have that you thought we would find so interesting," Cenred asked. He didn’t sound like he believed Drake would have anything of value to offer. But that was just part of his charm. No one would suspect him of having information so no one would try and take it from him. 

"First, I need to see my payment. I'm sure there are plenty more that would love this information," Drake said. Cenred snapped his fingers. 

"Freya, show him the gold," he said. the little girl nodded and hopped down the steps with a chest that Drake thought was much too big for her frame. He wasn't entirely sure how the poor girl kept the thing lifted. She opened it and Drake's face lit up with the glittering piles inside. Drake smirked and took the chest from the girl. 

"Now, your information?" Cenred asked. 

"I believe you lost a little boy about a year ago, Emrys," Drake said. Cenred's eyes narrowed.

"Merlin?" the girl, Freya apparently, gasped quietly. 

"Yes, I did. What of it?" Cenred asked. Drake smiled and shifted on his feet. 

"Well, the boy, you'll be pleased to know, is still alive and well in Camelot," Drake said. 

"Under the nose of Uther Pendragon?" Morgause asked. Her eyes widened and she immediately turned and began muttering to himself.

"Staying with the prince and his band of merry men," Drake smirked. Morgause and Cenred looked at each other. 

"Well, Drake, thank you so much for your information. I was beside myself with worry ever since the child disappeared from my castle," Cenred said. 

"It's no problem, your highness. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to leave now," Drake said. He turned and prepared to leave when Morgause spoke. 

"Actually, Drake, we can't have you spreading this news to other kingdoms. That child is very powerful and in the wrong hands, he could be used as a dangerous weapon," Morgause said. Drake turned to look at the woman. 

"I promise, my lady, I won't be telling anyone about the child. You have my word." 

"Sadly, your word means little to us," Cenred said. Morgause raised her arms and with a smile, whispered the words of the old religion. Drake’s neck snapped and he fell to the ground, dead. Cenred's guards moved the body from the room.

"Well, my dear, it seems as though our pet has returned to us," Cenred said with a smile. Morgause leaned down to give him a kiss. 

"I think it's time he returns home, don't you, Freya dear?" Morgause asked. Freya whimpered and looked out the window. 

"Merlin, please stay safe," she thought. She didn’t want to think about what would happen if Merlin ended back with these monsters.


End file.
